Before Eradication
by AntiFiction
Summary: The Reapers before they were Reapers. Megumi sought a way to end his misery, causing a chain of events that revealed how they all intertwined and knew each other before their untimely deaths and progression in the UnderGround realm. [Holiday Season Update!]
1. Prologue: Over the Edge

**Introductory Author's Note:** I have the tendency to go into excruciating detail and endless passion when it comes to crafting a story. I apologize if the first few chapters appear to be lengthy to a fault, and perhaps even boring in nature. Reviews would be nice, so that I know whether or not this story's worth a read. Since it's a relatively new story, I will probably update frequently and heavily edit for the first week or so of its conception. Feedback would be appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** The World Ends With You belongs to Square Enix.

**Prologue:** Over the Edge

AntiFiction

05-13-2012

(P)

A dreary overcast poured into the skyscraper-lined horizon, darkening the otherwise exuberant streets of the youth-centric Shibuya. It started to drizzle a misty haze, painting the busy scene in gradations of gray. Neon lights pierced through the fog, large billboards booming with advertisements and corporate signs glistening the upper bounds of towering structures. Flashes, sparks, and glows illuminated the miserable mood of an impending storm. Crowds of pedestrians appeared, donning colorful umbrellas as they strolled the insomniac pathways of twenty-four hour shopping districts. The indistinguishable hum of conversation buzzed in the thick air, somewhere between the natural racket of traffic and occasional twitches of aired commercials.

Suddenly, without much warning, there was a downpour that transformed the mystical brume into a pacific flashflood. Large accumulation of water led to deep puddles and flowing streams that drifted down the active roads. Most individuals didn't mind getting wet, but a good portion of them sought shelter in the comforting, warm buildings surrounding them. The shift in crowd levels was intriguing to watch from an outsider's point-of-view. Casually going about their days and meandering through their life stories, nobody truly expected what was about to unfold.

Unbeknownst to the general public, there was a suicidal man on the Miyashita Bridge, contemplating on whether or not to end his life. He stood overlooking the edge, his spidery fingers tightly gripping the handrails. He was peering through his long black hair as rainwater became waterfalls by slipped down the edges. A sadistic thought came to his mind: what if he wanted to go over the edge, too? Without giving himself time to think, he immediately perched himself up on the rails and attempted to climb to the other side. Steadying himself, he barely could balance himself on the slippery, wet handrail. Attention was drawn only when he was seen in an angelic pose, his arms held out at both sides in preparation for flight, and his striped jacket blowing in the fierce wind.

"He's going to jump!" A woman screamed. The throngs of people went from calm and passive to frantic and chaotic. As if they were too helpless to the unfolding events, a huge group formed, surrounding the man to get a good view of his impending death.

A sigh of nostalgia emitted through his nostrils, and without even a word of farewell or declaration, he began to slowly tip forward. Before his feet were off the edge, a large hand grabbed him and pulled him back with such force, he crash-landed into the pavement behind him. He yelped in excruciating pain, thinking that his spine exploded on the sidewalk from the impact. The sharp pain left and instantly, he realized he was in someone's arms. Completely prepared for death, he nearly forgot how to think. Before he could properly analyze the situation, the same woman that screamed and drew the massive crowd, then yelled, "He's okay!" A cheer erupted amongst a kinetic crowd, and not even seconds later, everybody went back to their usual business. Of course, there were a lot of cell phones that had recorded the incident, so those would be floating around the internet in no time.

"Y-you..." His unforgiving eyes sharply glared behind his oversized pair of shades. "You robbed me of my salvation..." He bore his teeth in a menacing fashion, resembling a snake willing to strike its prey. He resorted to violence. After all, he was humiliated by creating a public scene and failing at achieving his death. So he jabbed his rescuer in the chest and drove a knee into his abdomen. The gripping hands temporarily released. Assuming he had freed himself, he turned around and ran a few steps. The same large hands that saved him grabbed him by his shoulder-length black hair and dragged him back so forcefully, his knees gave out and he fell onto the cement.

"I gave you a second chance." For the first time, he looked up at who had saved him. Towering above him, it was a dread-locked giant, his massive fists clutching onto his raven hair. Both of them were locked into a glare, and getting soaked in the rain, but they didn't care. At first, he didn't want to fear his savior, but seeing that he was a very intimidating, strong individual, he suddenly became afraid. Panic wasn't his style, and rather than crippling over and crying like a little girl (what he wanted to do), he placed a bony hand at the base of where the giant's grip was, and he tried to free himself as painlessly as possible. The struggling only made the death grip much tighter.

"... Ouch..." He said pathetically. "Please let me go..." He couldn't fall to his knees because he was physically restrained, and he was rather weakened by believing he was ready to give up his life today. Resorting back to a suicidal mindframe, his stance softened, and he went limp in the giant's arms. "Okay, fine. I give in. Kill me, since you obviously want the pleasure of doing it, rather than letting the bridge take all the glory."

The large man blinked in confusion, "I don't want to kill you. If I wanted you to die, I would've pushed you off the bridge or just let you fall." He released the dark hair, which plopped down onto the striped jacket, soaked into little twisted locks from the rain. "I'm sorry. You attacked me. My instinct was to defend myself. Apologies if that's a foreign concept to you."

The skeletal man looked up and blinked, almost surprised by the amount of humanity such a beastly creature contained, "Oh, no, no..." He cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed that he was supporting his entire weight solely on the massive arms that saved him. "I was just... so ready to die. I didn't think anyone cared enough to stop me. I really don't have anything left to live for."

"Well, what do you call yourself, then?" The dreadlocked man displayed annoyance to the cold, heavy rain that relentlessly showered them. "I don't know if we've met once before, because you look extremely familiar."

"Really...?" The thin man didn't recognize him at all. To him, they were complete strangers. "I'm Megumi Kitaniji. Seeing that you've saved my life, you man call me Megumi if you'd like."

"Such an honor, Mr. Kitaniji." He said, too respectful to call him by his first name. "I suppose you may call your humble servant... Higashizawa Yodai."

"Humble servant?" Megumi chuckled, grinning to himself, "I should be the one indebted to you. You stopped my life from going over the edge, literally." He balanced himself, no longer using Higashizawa as a support. He pulled his long, wet hair over his shoulders, and stated, "Maybe your intervention in itself is something to live for, in its own way."

Higashizawa stared up at the sky, tilting his head and peering through his dreadlocks, in pondersome thought. "I suppose you could see it that way." He shifted uncomfortably, "I mean, it was nothing. WELL, not nothing, but you know... No big deal. You'd do the same if you saw some poor hopeless soul committed to suicide."

Megumi blinked; technically, he wouldn't. He hadn't really thought much outside the realm of himself, hence why he was so desperate to commit suicide when his situation took a turn for the worse. When he was miserable enough, he was determined to fix it, and if it seemed that it would be impossible to resolve in his lifetime, he would plan for the most drastic solution and carry it out as promised. Although he wouldn't help a suicidal man, thinking that he probably should have the right to end his own life, he falsely stated, "Yeah. I would do the same."

He didn't know how much those words pleased Higashizawa. "Well, I'm free for the day. You want to grab something to eat?" Megumi blinked invisibly through his ridiculous shades, so it came off as a confused stare to him. "Isn't that what people do?" Higashizawa's voice seemed to shrink.

"Yeah." Megumi nodded. "I am somewhat hungry, and... it's not like I have anywhere to go anymore. No family, no friends, no co-workers, no boss, nobody..."

"You have your humble servant, Higashizawa." He reminded, "Come on. I'll take care of you."

"I don't want to be a burden..." Megumi suddenly realized he was catching a cold from standing out in the freezing rain for such an extended period of time. He shivered and his teeth chattered lightly; a large embrace surrounded him, as Higashizawa's arms drew him close, protectively.

"Never say you're a burden." Higashizawa said, a trace of sadness hinting in his tone. "A human life is too sacred to be treated as such." He truly valued and respected who Megumi was, even though they seemed to have just recently met - and this adoration extended to practically all of humanity. Ironically, his large size seemed to symbolize that he literally had a large heart, and an overwhelming capacity to love.

Megumi tried returning the adoration. He was already leaning against the giant's frame and only coming up to his chest. His hands were naturally positioned around the large belly, which he tried hugging - he would've succeeded if his thin arms could encompass his circumference. "Thank you..." Megumi whispered, only then realizing how many people were giving them strange stares for standing in the middle of the bridge, on a rainy day, spieling gratitude and kindness. Although in some peculiar minds, it looked like a scene from a romance film. Higashizawa was probably blushing, though it was hard to tell, as he hid his face behind dreadlocks. "Ummmm..." He hummed, trying to find some excuse to slip out of the crowds without appearing to be a coward - something he was not.

"Let's get out of this rain." Megumi finally said as the perfect cue, and the two of them left Miyashita Bridge. A few people who had lingered to watch the entire conversation broke out into cheering and clapping, leaving the two men quite embarrassed as they went about their days as everyone else did.

-**Author's Notes-**

I probably spent two-and-a-half weeks thinking about how I'd start this story. I could never think of a really good beginning. Finally, I thought a really catching start would be this meeting on the Miyashita Bridge during a rainy day. The connection between Megumi and Higashizawa, pre-death, might explain why the two are on such good terms in the UnderGround as Reapers. Seeing as they're the first two antagonists seen in the Game, I thought it was appropriate to start the story with them. I don't really write romance - it's not my thing. As a result, there probably won't be any pairings in this story. Instead, it's meant to be much more of interconnected friendship. Please let me know whether or not this appeals to an audience, especially this early in the stages of writing it. Reviews would be incredible.


	2. Chapter 1: Lofty Haven

**Chapter I: **Lofty Haven

AntiFiction

05-13-2012

(1)

Higashizawa had a nice place - well, for a two-bedroom apartment located in the nightlife center of Shibuya, where the rent was somewhat affordable. It was on the sixth floor, overlooking Dogenzaka, the street filled with nightclubs and love hotels. Amidst the rain, which was finally trickling down to a drizzle, the glowing neon signs illuminated the street and cast a green glare onto the front door. They were both shaking from the freezing wet atmosphere, which definitely didn't help turn the keys to unlock the door. Finally, at the sound of the click, Higashizawa threw himself against the door, causing it to fly open with a loud cracking sound. Megumi's eyes were wide. "Sorry." Higashizawa cleared his throat. "I was cold."

A warm draft blew by Megumi, and he instantly ran inside to escape the cold, but then felt bad that he was getting Higashizawa's apartment wet. Higashizawa shut the door behind them, locking it to keep the troublesome neighborhood kids out, and he turned to face Megumi, his dreadlocks forming mini waterfalls. The topic he brought up was unexpected, "The only problem I have about this place is the commotion at night. It's tolerable only after 2:00. Other than that, it has great insulation."

Megumi stared down at the giant puddle forming around him, "I'm sorry about soaking your apartment." He sighed. Higashizawa looked down and realized he was surrounded by an even larger body of water.

"It's completely fine," Higashizawa said, "The heat's so good here that it'll dry all this up. Though I'm guessing you're going to catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes." He folded his arms and began to think about possible solutions. "Nothing I wear will fit you, so I guess... We can borrow?" He suspiciously dashed around the corner, leaving a trail of water in his wake.

"... Higashizawa?" Megumi said, his voice echoing into the adjacent room. He shivered and tried wringing out his clothes, dumping water all over the beautiful tile floor. He did notice that Higashizawa's former puddle was already halfway dried up - the heat was indeed strong. However, it wasn't strong enough to stop his shivering.

Higashizawa appeared around the corner, "I'd bring clothes to you, but I think I'd soak them." He gestured to follow. "Come over here." Megumi entered a small, simple bedroom: there was a bed on the left, a desk and window at the center, and a closet to the right. Other than that, it was devoid of life. Lying on the bed was a plastic bag with neatly folded clothes within - the bag was soaked from Higashizawa handling it, but the clothes themselves seemed to be dry. "You can come in - it can be your room." Higashizawa offered. "Nobody lives here."

Megumi was surprised at the kind offer. He stepped inside, and took a long, good look at the tiny and clean space. He glanced at the small clothes, and suspicion grew from their feminine appearance, "Where did you get these?" He studied Higashizawa's face intently to see his reaction. He expected some embarrassing secrets, but instead, Higashizawa looked calm and honest.

"They're from one of my classmates." He answered. "We go to the same university. One time, we both had this difficult class. For a week straight, she lived here and we studied together. She left some of her things here, and said she might return if we shared another tough class together."

"A woman in your apartment?" Megumi's eyebrow raised.

"... Please don't get that idea." Higashizawa frowned. "We just studied. We're both serious students. We're not even friends. Just no." He didn't seem to be in denial, and was in fact, deeply offended at the suggestion that something had happened between them.

Megumi shrugged, but believed him. "Heh, so these are women's clothes?" He asked, though his assumptions tended to be correct.

"Sorry..." Higashizawa sighed. "They are indeed. Mimi wears fairly unsex clothes, so I thought it'd be fine for now. We can stay here until your actual clothes dry, if you'd like - you don't have to wear Mimi's clothes in public."

Megumi twitched, "Interesting. The way you describe this Mimi... The way she dresses, the way she studies, the way she acts... It reminds me of somebody I know."

"Really?" Higashizawa said. "That is interesting."

"Indeed..." Megumi stared at the plastic bag. "Okay. I'll wear them."

Higashizawa nodded. "Here's a towel." He offered a simple white towel. "I'll be changing too, so if you're ready before I am... Feel free to make yourself at home, and you may stay as long as you'd like." He promptly left, because he was fed up with being soaked.

"Thank you, Higashizawa." Megumi said.

A close voice from the second room replied, "You're welcome!"

Megumi closed the bedroom door, but didn't lock it. He didn't care. He approached the bed, neatly made with warm covers, and picked up the plastic bag, which left a damp imprint on the blanket. He quickly opened it and the familiar scent of home came from them. Initially, he was shocked, wondering if they were from who he thought they were from. He shook his head in disbelief. He removed a form-fitting black sweater and a pair of black jeans from the bag. They were his exact size. Quite easily, could make the parallel between the two Mimis and conclude that they were the same person, but he wasn't prepared to accept that. If it was the Mimi he knew, he wouldn't feel safe here.

It felt extremely strange to wear Mimi's clothes, because the sensation was all too familiar. Megumi couldn't avoid his reflection, which stared back at him with a vengence - for a rare moment, his green eyes were naked and not concealed by his shades. His shoulder-length black hair was still wet, clinging to his shoulders and appearing to be somewhat longer than usual. Unfortunately, the black sweater was a turtleneck, which nearly choked him by how tightly it fit his throat, and it tightly held onto his shoulders, wrists, and waist, in particular. A female-proportioned article of clothing looked odd on him. Mostly because such a tight sweater revealed how malnourished he was - his ribs were showing. The jeans were also strange, because they accentuated his hips, knees, and lower legs. His bare hands and feet portruded from the black fabric, as pale, spidery appendages. Brushing a strand of hair over his shoulder, he considered the idea of being vampiric in nature. With that thought lingering on his mind, he reapplied the shades and grinned.

The vague remembrance of Higashizawa's food-offering returned, and his stomach growled. On the bridge, he forced himself to forget as much as possible about his life, so that his death would be without regrets. That was his ultimate hope: that he'd die with no regrets. Now if he still retained the concept of time, and tried to recall how long it was since his last meal... if memory served him correct, about four days. Slowly, his stomach stopped complaining and adjusted itself to surviving with less food. It had succeeded and food had become unnecessary or sometimes disgusting to him. However, for the first time in a while, it seemed to retain its anatomical function.

Megumi creeped into the kitchen, which was a few steps from his bedroom. He could hear pouring water in the background, meaning that Higashizawa was probably still trying to dry out his clothes and dreadlocks. Megumi was surprised by how meticulously organized the kitchen was. Although there were lots of materials in the cabinets, cupboards, countertops, and drawers, they were arranged so perfectly that it didn't seem like a clutter to walk into. He curiously opened the refrigerator, and it was completely stocked, almost to the point of overflowing. Nonetheless, it was equally organized as the surrounding kitchen. So much of it seemed good, yet simultaneously, he wondered if he should ask permission to take something. It felt like the right thing to do.

"Higashizawa." Megumi called. An unexpected sight greeted him when Higashizawa emerged from his room, his hair wrapped up in a towel, and his clothes appearing to be absurdly casual. Rather than reacting, Megumi continued, "Could I possibly... eat something? If not, I think I have some money left, and I can go get-"

"You may eat whatever you want," Higashizawa answered. "However, if you want me to cook something, I could if you gave me not even a minute."

"I don't want to trouble you..." Megumi said politely.

"It's no trouble." Higashizawa assured. "I enjoy cooking, and helping others, and whatnot." He unwrapped the towel around his hair, revealing that his dreadlocks were to bundle up extremely curly locks and make them appear to be cleaner. His hair was especially curly because of the water, although as it dried, it extended back out to normal. Megumi wasn't aware if he was staring or not, and he stood aside as the giant took the short trip to the kitchen. Higashizawa listed, "I have this incredible salmon and tuna... Sushi could be made out of it... There's also ramen of all sorts... Maybe some rice..."

"Sushi's fine," Megumi said quietly.

"Alright," Higashizawa opened the refrigerator and pulled out all sorts of interesting, frozen, sea creatures. Very quickly and skillfully, he prepared the seaweed and rice, as the fish thawed. To pass the time, he stirred up a conversation, "So... I apologize if this is too soon to mention, but... What made you want to take your life so badly, you stood on a bridge?"

"Oh..." Megumi should have expected that question coming. "Well... Times are tough."

"Indeed..." Higashizawa sighed - that avoided the question entirely. He pressed harder. "Was it an event? A person? A thing? An action? A regret? A -"

"I have no regrets," Megumi interrupted, almost defensively.

"Well..." Higashizawa's train of thought was broken. "I... I see." He cleared his throat. He couldn't stay quiet - if he did, Megumi would still remain silent, and never explain himself. Though in Higashizawa's very sharp, discerning mind, he sincerely wanted to know. He had to know. "Your suit. That's a business suit." He mentioned. "You said times were tough."

"Yes." Megumi rose an eyebrow; with the shades on, he looked unimpressed.

"Forgive me if I am horribly wrong," Higashizawa sighed, "Were you on the verge of committing suicide, because of reasons pertaining to... the economy, stock market, private business, or perhaps even promotion?"

"Well... Close." Megumi admitted. "You're good."

"Thank you, sir." Higashizawa said softly. "I don't mean to pry. I'm genuinely concerned for your safety. After all, something may have happened to you... and with all those people, I'm sure your attempted suicide is on the internet. The worst situation probably would have been if the authorities showed up OR if I failed to grab you."

"I... suppose..." Megumi said distantly. He leaned against the kitchen countertop with a frown, "I'm usually not the suicidal type. I assure you it was a rare instance of weakness."

"You're a very intelligent man," Higashizawa said. "I did find it strange that you would dwell to such a destructive scale. In fact... It must have taken a lot to push it to that point." He pressed.

"Well... Yes." Megumi replied. "I really don't feel like being interrogated right now..."

"My most sincere apologies, sir." Higashizawa said. "I won't mention it again if it bothers you that deeply."

"Thank you for understanding..." Megumi exhaled, folding his arms nearly across his chest. He did promise, "When I'm ready, I will tell you."

"That would be a privilege," Higashizawa smiled lightly to himself. "Sushi's done." He held out a plate with ridiculously large portions. It looked like a meal for at least ten people.

"Am I supposed to eat all that by myself?" Megumi asked.

"If you can't, I can help." Higashizawa blinked. "Why? Too much?"

Megumi nodded, but then chuckled. "No kidding. You like to cook."

"Yes, sir." Higashizawa said plainly, unsure of what sort of humor Megumi was contracting. In the deep recesses of his mind, he was wondering if Megumi was equating his size with how much he loved cooking. Sensing the connection, he couldn't help but express trace amounts of sadness - not enough to be bothered for more than just that moment.

"Cute." Megumi said. Now that was a comment nobody expected.

"Thank you." Higashizawa said, the edges of his mouth failing to suppress a smile. "Well, we should probably eat in the living room. Unfortunately, I don't have the money for a dining room."

"Apparently, you're a college student." Megumi recalled the exposition before. "That is completely easy to understand. Been there, done that."

"Really?" Higashizawa asked, and by that time, they had already walked to the living room and propped down on the floor, atop pillows and blankets to keep warm in the rainy weather. "Well, obviously, you must be a college graduate if you're in business..."

"True and false," Megumi stated, plucking a piece of sushi with chopsticks and promptly chewing it. "True, I am a college graduate in business. However, false, that all people in business have graduated college."

"But it does help, doesn't it?" Higashizawa asked, taking as much as five pieces of sushi at one time and consuming it as if it were a snack.

"It definitely does," Megumi swallowed. "Yes, the work is easy to adjust to, and it's relatively simple for anyone who has studied their whole lives... Truth be told... I'm a disappointment."

Higashizawa did not expect that, "Disappointment? You seem like a dependable man. Why on earth would you be a disappointment to anyone? With a job as respectable as yours?"

"Well..." Megumi thought distantly about whether or not he wanted to share this particular detail of himself with someone he met that very day. "They expected me to be a doctor or lawyer. Somebody who works very hard and pulls in lots of money. Business wasn't exactly what they were expecting from me."

"Oh, expectations..." Higashizawa seemed to sympathize on a very personal level. "That in itself actually would explain everything about the bridge..."

"Well, no, not everything..." Megumi said. "It takes a lot to push me over the edge."

Higashizawa thought about this, staring blankly with a piece of sushi waiting in the chopsticks for a good twenty seconds. Only after he thought about it did he put it into his mouth.

"I'm still not ready..." Megumi chuckled under his breath. "It's been two minutes."

"Right." Higashizawa grinned.

Suddenly, Megumi realized that the grand majority of the sushi was already finished, despite its extremely large portion size. While Megumi only had about five pieces, he was certain that Higashizawa must have had at least forty-five. Megumi, still not very accustomed to food in his stomach, compromised that the sixth was his last one. "You can have the rest." Megumi offered. He wondered if Higashizawa had one of those bottomless pits for a stomach, or if he'd declare quits.

"Okay, thank you." Higashizawa replied. Yes, definitely one of those bottomless pits.

While the giant was finishing off the morsels, Megumi offered, "I can put the plate away." He took the empty, large tray, and tried to stand with it - it was quite heavy. "Thank you for the food." He said.

"You're welcome." Higashizawa said, nibbling on the last piece with a look of pure enjoyment.

In the kitchen, Megumi suddenly realized something amongst the organized cookbooks, spices, and utensils. He could probably piece together a life story about his rescuer, just based off what he kept in the kitchen. Very curious about the background of this intriguing man, he suddenly felt like a hypocrite. Instinct told him that he would prefer death than letting anyone delve too much into his past. Logic told him that his life should be preserved at all costs. He wasn't sure if instinct or logic won the internal argument. Nonetheless, he distracted himself from his troubles by snooping through the kitchen. Nothing too revealing was found until he revisited the refrigerator. On its glossy metallic surface, there were all sorts of colorful magnets aligned - not the typical letters and shapes, but strange spheres with symbols that resembled pins. There were several with black wings on them. Finally, there were four photographs amidst them.

The first, a small curly-haired child laughing, sitting alone in the middle of a large and empty room - it appeared to be no more than about two years old. Was that Higashizawa? Or somebody's baby? The second, a candid photograph of Higashizawa taken probably during his first year of college - he was the largest person in the room, barely fitting into his desk. He seemed to be intently writing notes, and dreadlocks were falling over his face, hiding portions of his expression. Overall, he seemed to be thinking. The third, Higashizawa standing outside a restaurant at night, his skin gleaming with the reflection of neon lights. Mysteriously, this picture was torn in half, and there seemed to be a second person who was removed quite obviously. He seemed like a very organized person, so he would have simply cut the image with scissors if he really wanted to. The ripping and tearing probably meant a very personal rift between him and this person. And finally, the fourth. When Megumi caught sight of it, he nearly threw himself across the kitchen in shock.

In the fourth photograph, Higashizawa was standing on Miyashita Bridge, and it was taken about a year ago. In the background, Megumi was there too, as a pedestrian minding his own business. He didn't seem to be aware that somebody was taking a photograph. Behind him, there was the particular Mimi of his memories - she was tagging along with him, as she usually would. Seeing her made him want to scream, perhaps even demand if this image was coincidence. In a stirring rage, he walked out of the room with the vengeance of an agitated viper. He turned to question Higashizawa.

Deep breathing... Was he sleeping? Megumi tiptoed through the living room to just to make sure. Sure enough, he was - his eyes were tightly shut. The large man was resting on top of the pillows and blankets they lied on the cold tile floor. His hand was lightly holding his distended stomach. "Higashizawa?" Megumi whispered. "It's important..." Something told him not to disturb the slumbering giant. He sighed that his questions would have to wait, though he was very patient by nature - he could wait. "Good night, Higashizawa." Megumi said under his breath, throwing a blanket over him so he wouldn't get cold. After all, the sun was setting, and it was always colder during the night.

Higashizawa stirred slightly, but didn't respond. His free hand instinctively clutched the blanket and nuzzled closer to it. His breathing got slower, and consequently deeper. How he went from awake and talkative to hardcore REM sleep, Megumi wasn't sure - maybe all that food. Walking back to his room, Megumi really didn't want to see that photograph again. In fact, he shielded his vision with his left hand as he walked by the kitchen to avoid it. He shut the bedroom door, but as usual, he didn't lock it. He didn't bother turning on the lights and staying up at night, as he usually would. He slowly walked to his bed, climbed into the covers, and lied there in thought.

"How...?" Megumi said aloud, softly enough to be inaudible to anyone who wasn't in the room. "That picture... There's no way that's just coincidence... He knows me... And we're probably thinking of the same Mimi... But how does he know me...? Wait. WAIT." Megumi sat up and thought about the first time they met.

_"Well, what do you call yourself, then?" Higashizawa had asked, glaring up at the sky in anger at the downpour. He shivered that it was cold, and shifted because it was heavy. "I don't know if we've met once before, __**because you look extremely familiar.**__"_

His heart raced as he recalled those exact words. "So he knows me... but doesn't know where from..." He breathed. "Okay, Megumi, don't panic. Think. Have you ever met a towering, dread-locked jock in your life?" He thought deeply. "High school? College? The streets? Those are the only places I can possibly think of..." His heart continued to accelerate, "Why does this make me so scared? What happened...?"

-**Author's Notes**-

Ha. Cliffhanger. I'm surprised I was able to crank out both the prologue and first chapter in the same day, especially with all the work I have. Nevertheless, here it is. One of my secret pet peeves is the lack of love for the Reapers in the fanfiction community. The reason I decided to create this story was because I was trying to find some good Reaper fanfics (preferably with chapters in the double-digits), and I couldn't find any. I was so appalled that I created an account to make one myself. Since it's still in the beginning stages, I might improve the first few chapters a lot to construct a fully captivating storyline. As of now, I'm experimenting, since I'm naturally horrible at beginnings, but much more comfortable once it's already progressed to the middle. Once again, reviews would be appreciated, as it would tell me the direction of where to go with this story. Many thanks for taking the time to read this story!


	3. Chapter 2: Busy Morning

**Chapter II: **Busy Morning

AntiFiction

05-14-2012

(2)

Higashizawa stirred lightly; his eyes softly opened and innocently peered at their surroundings. He was lying on his stomach, his face buried into the pillow, and his dreadlocks messily strewn about. He inhaled deeply, stretching his arms out and readjusting into his curled-up slumbering position. How long had it been since he actually slept well? He felt great. As much as he wanted to begin the day, he felt perfectly content to close his eyes and relax in a dreamless slumber.

"HOW CAN YOU BE ALIIIIIIVE?" A scream erupted in the background.

Logic slowly returned to Higashizawa, and suddenly, he had no recollection of how he got in the living room. His attention drawn to the perilous scream, he tried to lift himself up. His heavy stomach temporarily weighed him down. With very little effort, he gave up and plopped back to his original position. He was too tired to use his full strength. His eyes shut. His mind went blank, and he returned to his internal happiness.

"Higashizawaaaaa..." Mr. Kitaniji was calling him?

Higashizawa groaned softly, "I don't want to move." He was in a realm without problems, in an ideal state of mind. He felt ready to take on the world, but equally wishing he could avoid its endless abundance of complications.

"HigaSHIZAWAAAAA..." Mr. Kitaniji was calling!

"I'M COMING!" Higashizawa roared. His massive arms easily supported the rest of his frame, but he could feel the majority of his weight in the center. He wondered what he ate the night before, and suddenly recalled sushi. Immense amounts of sushi. Usually he woke up ravenous, but his stomach still felt full. His casual shirt definitely wouldn't fit over it. In a panic, he searched in the pillows for his jacket. Then he remembered he wasn't wearing his jacket last night. In embarrassment, he tried to sneak into his room to snatch it. Sound traveled well in his apartment, so he tried peeking into Megumi's room and converse with him without showing himself. "Yes, Mr. Kitaniji?"

Megumi's eyes were closed. He was shifting around, but definitely still asleep. How strange, he wore his shades to bed. He seemed to be having a nightmare. Higashizawa was really thankful for this. He slipped into his bedroom, and found his jacket neatly folded on his own bed. He quickly threw it on. He lightly tugged on his casual shirt, which was now apparently too small. It came up to the bellybutton. This meant he had to buy new shirts AGAIN. He muttered angrily under his breath and zipped up his jacket, which completely concealed his large belly. Now he seemed to be normal, perhaps even exceptionally muscular. He glanced at himself in the mirror. Slightly impressed, he gave his reflection a nod of approval.

"AAAA..." Megumi wasn't screaming, but seemingly pronounce the last letter in Higashizawa's name.

Higashizawa approached Megumi's side, and tried to figure out how he would awaken him without frightening him. His solution was to merely place a hand on his shoulder and lightly shake. In response, Megumi lashed out and struck him. Without thinking, Higashizawa reacted by exerting his entire weight to hold down Megumi. The struggling stopped immediately, and then he seemed to be choking, even though only his arms were restrained. "Mr. Kitaniji?" Higashizawa said.

"DON'T EAT ME!" Megumi finally awoke, practically sobbing in fear. Higashizawa was hovering above, his fists placed on Megumi's arms and holding him down. Megumi blinked, probably unsure of what to think.

"I'm not going to eat you..." Higashizawa promised. "I was trying to inform you that you were having a nightmare, sir."

"A nightmare?" Megumi rose, perching himself upright. His thin fingers pressed against his own forehead, which was warm. "What's going on?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Higashizawa stated. "I'd think a nightmare would be normal after an attempted suicide." He shot a rather menacing, piercing glare that could be read as: _"Not that I'd know, you ungrateful coward."_

Megumi felt the same terror from his nightmare, but he couldn't even recall what it was about. The terror was redirected to overwhelming pain, which became almost too unbearable to ignore. "Why were you holding me down?" He rubbed his sore right arm.

"Oh." Higashizawa ruffled his dreadlocks. "About that..."

"Did I hit you again?" Megumi frowned.

"You did." Higashizawa sighed.

"My apologies..." Megumi breathed. "I don't know what came over me... This really must be the lowest point in my entire life."

"We've all got our ups and downs..." Higashizawa admitted. "Just like every meal doesn't come out perfect. Sometimes it's burned, and other times, it's adequately seasoned." He made his first cooking metaphor.

"You're right..." Megumi said. "In that sense, I'm a meal so burned, I've blazed into flames."

Higashizawa's jaw dropped, as if he appopriately fathomed the sheer suffering he was enduring in his life, tipping off the edge of success and into the rock-bottom of misery. "My greatest condolences, Mr. Kitaniji..." He bowed his head. "Is there anything I may do to lessen your pain?"

"Hmm..." Megumi thought. "Iced tea."

"Really?" Higashizawa seemed excited. "I haven't heard that request in a while. Thankfully, I think I still have the ingredients for it - at least, the way I like to make it."

"It does sound good right now, even though it's cold out." Megumi said. "Thankfully, the rooms are fairly warm, even after the night has passed."

"The night hasn't passed completely." Higashizawa said. "Dawn is imminent."

"What time is it?" Megumi stared.

"Roughly... 5:00." Higashizawa replied, "I don't mind getting up early. Especially since I fell asleep so early last night. I'm deeply sorry about that." He said. "I meant to speak with you more..."

Megumi stuttered, "Sp-Speaking of SPEAKING, there's something I have to ask! It's urgent!"

"Yes?" Higashizawa gulped. "What's so urgent? Do you have somewhere to go?" He frowned.

"A picture!" Megumi stated. "THIS WAY!" He bolted down the pathetic excuse of a hallway, and nearly slammed into the kitchen after two steps. "HERE!" Higashizawa calmly stepped out and followed. "This photograph!" Megumi was so frantic, it was difficult to understand him.

"What about it?" Higashizawa tilted his head. "Oh, the bridge?"

"Not just that!" Megumi breathed. "Who's that?" He pointed to himself in the photograph.

"There we go!" Higashizawa grinned. "I thought you were familiar!"

"... WHAT?" Megumi exclaimed. "WE'VE MET?"

"Of course! I remember it perfectly now." Higashizawa seemed disappointed that he wasn't remembered in return. "You were the guest speaker for my Statistics class!"

Megumi stared blankly, "... Really?" He did recall appearing to teach one class in the absence of a professor, as a graduate student who was proficient in business math and statistics. It came back to him that since it was merely fifty minutes of instruction, he would have remembered none of their names or faces. He wondered if he left such an impression on this student that he could recognize him after meeting him only once.

"Yeah!" Higashizawa said. "You're also Mimi's friend."

Megumi twitched. Was he confirming that both of their Mimis were the same Mimi? "Excuse me? Mimi's FRIEND?" His eyes narrowed, and he revealed his teeth in a threatening, animalistic manner.

"At least I assumed you two were." Higashizawa continued, not phased by this display. "She admired you and looked up to you, and said that you two were best friends."

"Was her full name Michi Kitaniji by any chance?" Megumi glared.

"... Why yes it was!" Higashizawa confirmed, and then paused. "Is she your sister?"

"YES!" Megumi raged, "I CANNOT BELIEVE OUT OF ALL PEOPLE I COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED BY, IT HAD TO BE SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS HER!"

"Please, Mr. Kitaniji, remain calm..." Higashizawa spoke slowly. "There's no reason to be upset. Or at least I don't think there is..."

"You're Michi's friend." Megumi hissed. "I can never trust you."

"We're not friends." Higashizawa said.

Megumi tried to call his bluff, but then remembered what Higashizawa said yesterday.

_"They're from one of my classmates." Higashizawa explained, as Megumi glanced over at the pair of clothes lying on the bed. "We go to the same university, and one time, we both had this difficult class. For a week straight, she lived here and we studied together. She left some of her things here, and said she might return if we shared another class together."_

_"A woman in your apartment?" Megumi's eyebrow raised._

_"... Please don't get that idea." Higashizawa frowned. "We just studied. We're both serious students. __**We're not even friends.**__ Just no."_

"Right." Megumi said softly. "You're not friends. You're just classmates." He sighed in agony. "Tell me, Higashizawa... How badly does she talk of me to you?"

"She's never said anything bad about you." Higashizawa seemed confused. "We don't talk too much, but the few times she has spoken about you... it was on such good terms, I assumed you two were friends."

Megumi shook his head and couldn't believe it. "You're lying."

Higashizawa frowned, "I'm not lying..." In exasperation, he opened the refrigerator and mentally compromised to make the iced tea, which would hopefully settle Megumi's nerves. He reached for the cold pitcher of water, the ice cubes, the honey, and the ginseng. As he turned to grab the tea packets from the cabinet, he continued to explain. "I'll tell you everything. Mimi and I met in our first-year General Biology classes."

"I didn't know she took biology." Megumi huffed, a single strand of hair moving under the influence of his breath. "Not that I care, anyway."

"We did..." Higashizawa emphasized. "It was a full year of concentration on biological concepts, usually for students into medicine or hardcore science."

"Doesn't sound like Mimi." Megumi folded his arms. "I'm suddenly not sure if we're talking about the same person."

Higashizawa literally placed all the items down on the countertop so he could throw his arms up in frustration. "I'm just telling you how it is. I'm sorry you have so many objections." He huffed. Before he could break out into mild anger, he restrained himself. A detail that surprised most people was that he didn't have a short-fuse temper, at all. He was very calm and patient for the most part - often very philosophical and observant in nature. It would take something very deep and personal to really aggravate him, and that point, they might as well try to relax a furious ram.

Megumi sighed - or perhaps he hissed - and tried not to sound like he was pleading, "I'm sorry. Please go on. Tell me your relationship."

"I told you it's nothing like that." Higashizawa mumbled under his breath in anger. "Please, no interruptions, and I will tell you everything." He poured the tea into lemonade, covered it with a double-lid, and began to shake it. "After that, then you may protest."

"Deal," Megumi's hair flipped when he looked away from Higashizawa.

"It was our first year." Higashizawa described. "The only class we shared that year was biology. We were both very studious, sitting in the front row, and taking notes of practically everything the professor said. On my first exam, I scored the highest of everyone - it was an unexpected result, even for me. I became temporarily famous in that class, and it was... rather uncomfortable. It was amidst that chaos that Mimi came to me and asked me for help learning the basic concepts. From that point on, we'd study together for our difficult classes. It's as simple as that. We don't even know each other personally - we've just discussed science, mathematics, and medicine."

"If she's your study buddy, will she show up sometime?" Megumi groaned. "That's the last thing I need..."

Higashizawa flinched, "No. She probably won't. We don't have any classes together right now, and summer's coming, so it'll be a while."

"I see..." Megumi pondered to himself. "While I'm quite agitated that there's a connection to my family, I suppose I am okay with staying here under one condition."

"Yes, sir?" Higashizawa beamed, turning to make eye contact so that it was aware he was paying very close attention.

"Don't let any of my relatives know I'm here." Megumi demanded. "I don't care if they call you. I don't care if they pester, nag, weep, mourn, plead, beg, grieve, or bribe. Do not contact them, and do not let them know of my whereabouts. I might as well be dead to them."

Higashizawa was very surprised by this request. Megumi seemed like a lone wolf out of the wolf pack, with full independence and freedom after years of hard work and practice. Nonetheless, rather than prodding him about the details (which he seemed to hate), Higashizawa replied, "I won't tell. I promise you this."

"Can I trust you?" Megumi's eyebrow raised.

"You may, sir." Higashizawa stated. "I will do my best to assure that they do not find you."

"Thank you." Megumi sighed in relief. "That's a huge load off my chest."

Higashizawa wasn't sure what to say at that point. So he chimed, "Iced tea is ready."

"Thank you, Higashizawa..." Megumi said gratefully, as he took the glass of beautiful golden-red iced tea. "I sincerely, truly mean it..."

"It's only iced tea." Higashizawa blushed.

"I mean for keeping the secrets." Megumi sipped. "But yes, the iced tea is quite good, too."

"You're very welcome." Higashizawa smiled. He followed Megumi out of the kitchen, and into the living room, which was still covered in pillows and blankets. Embarrassed by how disorganized it looked, Higashizawa began to neatly arrange everything back into order. As he worked, Megumi perched serenely on the couch, resembling a mighty king on his throne.

"The sun's finally rising." Megumi chuckled. Apparently, they had been talking amongst each other for an hour, and it already felt as if it was well into the afternoon. He felt awake and active, perhaps ready for a new start in life. He glanced over at Higashizawa, who was looming over the couch and obsessing over the position of the pillows. He'd budge by small amounts, accidentally move it too far, and in annoyance, start the entire process over. Megumi was amused to watch this. He started another conversation, "Not to pry, but I am quite curious from what you've told me..."

"Yes?" Higashizawa didn't even look up - he was that intently concentrated on getting that pillow ninety-degrees upright.

Megumi twirled a black lock of hair in his fingers, "What are you majoring in?"

Higashizawa stared into the great space of nothingness, momentarily. "Nuh..."

"So you're not completely decided?" Megumi sipped on the iced tea.

"Not exactly..." Higashizawa said, sounding very distant.

"Well, you said you've taken biology." Megumi said, stirring the beverage with the spoon. "That's quite interesting of a topic, don't you think?"

"Yes." Higashizawa said plainly.

Megumi realized there was a block in the conversation. He was hiding something. "So are you a biology major?"

"Not really." Higashizawa sighed.

"Chemistry major?" Megumi pressed.

"Nope." Higashizawa replied.

"Physics major?" Megumi continued.

"Of course not." Higashizawa protested.

"Hmm. Math?" Megumi asked.

"NO!" Higashizawa shouted. Realizing he was on the verge of losing his temper, he drew in a deep breath and apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm too stupid to qualify as any of those, and my lack of intelligence angers me."

Megumi blinked. "You seem quite intelligent, Higashizawa. What is this nonsense?"

"Nothing..." Higashizawa stared off to the side. "If you want me to speak, I'm going to have to make a huge breakfast to drown out my sorrows."

"Ummm... sure?" Megumi tilted his head. "I am quite curious."

Higashizawa sorted his belongings - a cell phone, a wallet, and some loose change. "Are you okay with eggs, rice, and steamed vegetables?"

"Sounds perfect." Megumi's tongue lingered in the cold tea.

"Great!" Higashizawa eagerly darted to the kitchen, quick enough in such a small living space that he nearly collided with the back wall. He was probably trying to give himself time to think about how exactly to describe what he meant by his intelligence and education, without sounding completely idiotic. Megumi mused that the dread-locked hulk didn't seem to be dull-minded, especially with the comment that he scored the highest exam score in his biology class. It began to bother Megumi that this man had high ambitions and dreams, and was seeking a college education, and yet he seemed completely unconfident about his own blatantly obvious intellect. Had been picked on because of his size? Was he labeled a thug because of his dreadlocks? Did he ever beat anybody down to showcase his remarkable strength? Did he get turned down by the ladies? Megumi mentally scratched out that last option - Higashizawa seemed completely uninterested in dating. Once again, probably because of that hidden, brilliant mind of his.

Quite some time passed, and Higashizawa finally returned with breakfast. He probably did some impressive thinking while preparing this fine meal. He placed the plate on the table, once again with exaggeratively large portions. Megumi ate very modestly, as usual, taking a small bowl of rice, placing the eggs atop the rice, and eating his favorite vegetables in a separate plate - broccoli, carrots, peas, corn, and mushrooms (which were really a fungi, not a vegetable). Higashizawa emptied most of the contents of his cooking into a large mixing bowl and ate straight out of it, in a very neat and polite manner. "That hit the spot..." Higashizawa commented after swallowing his first bite of rice.

"So..." Megumi thought of how to bring up the previous conversation. However, when he looked over at Higashizawa, he seemed to be entranced by his own cooking to really become interested in continuing what they had been discussing for two hours - from when it was dark, to dawn, to early morning. He decided to bring it up some other time. "You have any plans for today?"

Higashizawa was nibbling on a broccoli. "It's Monday. I have class."

"Oh." Megumi blinked. It was spring and summer was quite a few weeks away, so it made sense that as a college student, he still had classes. "When do you start and when do you end? What times?"

"Mmmm..." Megumi wasn't sure if Higashizawa was enjoying his meal or thinking. "From 8:00 to 14:50." He replied.

"I see..." Megumi mused. "Busy day."

"Indeed," Higashizawa groaned. "I hate Mondays."

Megumi smiled. As a businessman, he was trained to be excited for Mondays, when it was time to get back into the rhythm of making money and pleasing customers. Though he did have to admit, he looked forward to the approaching weekend. "Have fun, if you can." Megumi lightly laughed.

"I'll try..." Higashizawa said. He pointed to Megumi's two empty bowls. "You sure you don't want more?"

"No, thanks. I'm full." Megumi said, leaning against the arm of the couch and stretching out his legs.

Higashizawa blinked. "You're a skeleton. How can you be full? You have nothing on your bones."

"Excuse me?" Megumi stared down - well, the giant was right. His ribs were showing through the tight black shirt, and his limbs were extremely skinny, almost down to the bone. "It's just difficult to put on weight. That's all."

"Just eat more." Higashizawa said. "Simple as that."

"Not really." Megumi frowned. "My metabolism was very high when I was a teenager, and even after progressing far into adulthood, that hasn't changed..."

"Are you under the age of twenty-five?" Higashizawa asked.

"No." Megumi said. "Unfortunately."

Higashizawa stared blankly. "So all your body parts have already grown in and you're still unable to pack on pounds?" Megumi nodded. "You know how many ladies envy you?" Higashizawa threw his head back and laughed.

"Haaaaa..." Megumi folded his arms. "But seriously. I couldn't possibly eat another bite. I haven't had real food for days, so I'm still not used to it."

"Now THAT makes sense." Higashizawa said, fumbling with his baggy jacket. "I was going to say that THIS is what full looks like." Pulling down the zipper, his large belly bulged out from beneath - a completely spherical mass that almost looked like he stuffed something under his shirt.

Megumi gulped. "Is that REAL?"

"Of course it is!" Higashizawa lifted up the undershirt, and behold, there it was. A bloated abdomen that was stretched to maximum capacity. "It's not always like this, obviously. My metabolism's pretty fast too." He pulled the shirt back over it and zipped up his jacket, which mysteriously made it disappear beneath the bagginess. "Usually most of the food goes to my height and muscle mass, but before it's there, it's all down here." He placed his hands over his stomach.

"The way you word it..." Megumi stroked his chin. "Are you under the age of twenty-five?" He repeated Higashizawa's earlier question.

In response, the dreadlocked-man tilted his head, "Yes."

"You said you were a college student, taking classes..." Megumi folded his arms. "In all honesty, if you hadn't told me that, I would've thought you were in your thirties."

Higashizawa nearly spat out his drink. "You're saying I look old?"

"Not exactly." Megumi tried to fix the misunderstanding. "It looks like it took years and years to build up all that muscle and growth. It's very impressive, really."

Higashizawa blushed. "Why, thank you." He sunk his teeth into a boiled carrot. "This is actually a recent growth spurt. I was really tiny and skinny my whole life until now."

Megumi's jaw dropped. "I would've never been able to tell."

"Yeah..." Higashizawa trailed off in thought. "I'm only twenty."

Megumi nearly fell off the couch. "TWENTY? Well. Actually. Now that you mention it, it makes sense. Michi's the same age, and you two take classes together every now and then..."

Higashizawa nodded. "I'm not used to anyone calling her Michi." He chuckled lightly.

"It's her real name." Megumi's eyes rolled. "Mimi is her nickname to grab new friends, because everybody thinks it sounds so cute." He grumbled to himself.

"Speaking of which, I should probably get going so I don't miss class..." Higashizawa stared at the clock hanging on the wall.

"You have class at 7:00?" Megumi seemed surprised.

"No," Higashizawa quickly gathered his notebooks. "I have class at 8:00, but I leave early because of the traffic. I don't go to college in Shibuya, but elsewhere in Tokyo. You know how life in the big city is. Lots of citizens commuting at the same hour."

"I definitely can relate." Megumi nodded. "Go! Go! I'll see you after class."

"Will you be okay?" Higashizawa asked with a hint of concern in his voice. "I don't want anything to happen to you..."

"In other words, 'please don't try to commit suicide again while I'm gone, Mr. Megumi'?" Megumi chuckled.

"... Yes." Higashizawa said. "Mr. Kitaniji." He still refused to call him by his first name, as he saw it as being too informal - after all, he was younger by six years.

"Heh, alright." Megumi said. "I promise I'll be alive by the time you get back."

Higashizawa grinned. "Sounds good!"

"Take care." Megumi hummed. "Have a good day!"

"I'll try." Higashizawa had already gathered all his things and opened the door. "Here's some money in case you want to buy anything, or wander around the city." Higashizawa held out his large fist. Megumi, in return, held out his tiny hand. A 1,000-Yen coin was dropped into his hand. "Have fun yourself." Higashizawa smiled.

"Thank you!" Megumi exclaimed. With a soft smile, Higashizawa shut the door behind him. Megumi stood in the empty apartment, surveying the environment. He realized that Higashizawa forgot to put away the dishes. It was no trouble at all, since he cooked all the meals, so to show gratitude, Megumi took them to the sink and began doing the dishes. He was impressed that the dishwasher was as massive as the silverware. They were probably intended for many people, but for a man as large as Higashizawa, they were single portions. Megumi still couldn't believe how much the guy could eat.

_"Megu-San ~"_

The unwanted flashback rung through his ears. Michi's voice somehow got stuck in his head. He hated his sister's chime. He started talking to himself, like a crazy nutcase, "Shut up, Michi, nobody cares."

_"Megu-Megu... Why don't we go to the park today?" Michi asked as they left the lecture hall, which was overflowing with college freshmen._

_"I really don't feel like it..." Megumi groaned. "Don't you have work to do?"_

_"Just a reading assignment or whatever." Michi shrugged._

_"You don't care at all, do you?" Megumi glared._

_"Not really." Michi admitted. "It seems really pointless. I doubt I'm demanded to quote Shakespeare for my future job. That is, if I even get one. I really don't care."_

_"You should care about your career." Megumi lectured outside of class. "You need to be much more responsible, Michi. You need to be able to pay for your own rent, car, gasoline, food, taxes, utilities, leisure activi-"_

_"Booooring." Michi yawned. "I'll just marry a rich guy and make him do the work for me."_

_"I pity whoever marries you." Megumi huffed. "They're a sad fool."_

_Michi frowned. "Megs, don't be like that."_

_"It's MEGUMI." He raged. "You're so ignorant, you don't even know how to pronounce one of the most obvious names -"_

Megumi snapped himself out of it - his heart was pounding, and sweat was pouring down his forehead. He vividly recalled this argument after the lecture. He suddenly realized it was because he had somehow wandered over to the photograph on the refrigerator and began to stare at it to recall something. Slowly, in bits and pieces, that conversation came back to him. How he loathed that talk on Miyashita Bridge. It reminded him the exact reason why he deeply disliked his sister.

**-Author's Notes-**

I don't know how obvious it is that my favorite characters are Megumi Kitaniji and Higashizawa Yodai. I listed them as the primary two characters of this story, but a more accurate description is that they're the first two characters explored at the beginning of the story. Later, the social dynamics of including Sho Minamimoto, Mitsuki Kinoshi, Uzuki Yashiro, and Koki Kariya will be included and interwoven into the plot. At that point, I'll probably have a better idea of how to improve the first portion of the story. Until then, the storytelling might be sloppy. Reviews would be lovely. Let me know how it is, what to improve, etc. The rewards shall be worth it.

-**Side Note-  
**  
What's up with the time(s)? Why does it say 4:00, 8:00, etc. without the AM/PM?  
The answer is that to stay true to the Japanese setting of the story, I am using Japanese time instead of American time. If you're unfamiliar with how the Japanese tell time, I'll take the liberty of writing it down on this page for reference, since I'm not quite sure where else to put it. (I tried listing the American time in parantheses, but it looked sloppy, so I'll just write it down here):

0:00 (12:00 AM)  
1:00 (1:00 AM)  
2:00 (2:00 AM)  
3:00 (3:00 AM)  
4:00 (4:00 AM)  
5:00 (5:00 AM)  
6:00 (6:00 AM)  
7:00 (7:00 AM)  
8:00 (8:00 AM)  
9:00 (9:00 AM)  
10:00 (10:00 AM)  
11:00 (11:00 AM)  
12:00 (12:00 PM)  
13:00 (1:00 PM)  
14:00 (2:00 PM)  
15:00 (3:00 PM)  
16:00 (4:00 PM)  
17:00 (5:00 PM)  
18:00 (6:00 PM)  
19:00 (7:00 PM)  
20:00 (8:00 PM)  
21:00 (9:00 PM)  
22:00 (10:00 PM)  
23:00 (11:00 PM)

I hope this helps!


	4. Chapter 3: Street Thugs

**Chapter III: **Street Thugs

AntiFiction

05-15-2012

(3)

The small apartment was actually quite lonesome when it was empty. Megumi lazily leaned on the couch, and he began to marvel at how strange it was to be alive. The concept of time was slowly making its way back to his blank mind, and miraculously, every living thing seemed to be governed indirectly by it. The body knew when to perform its daily functions for survival, the most mysterious of them being sleep. Megumi so desperately wished he could remember his nightmare, but all he had left was a lingering feeling of mistrust for Higashizawa. It was terrible, since he did nothing but save his life and help him live ever since. He hated being alone. He had been alone for most of his life. He wanted to be surrounded by people for once... like Michi. A deep-rooted anger flamed deep inside him, which almost reminded him of the exact reason he attempted suicide. Not wishing to re-live those horrible memories vividly, he decided it was a good idea to explore the city and distract his mind.

Counting traffic, Higashizawa would return at 15:30. That gave Megumi about eight hours to roam, though he wasn't sure if there was a risk he would return early. Quickly, he decided to write a note just in case of an emergency. The note read:

_Higashizawa,_

_If you read this, I am currently somewhere in Dogenzaka, getting out to cool my head for a while. I haven't left permanently. I'll be back by sunset._

_Thank you,_

_Megumi_

Megumi posted the note to the interior of the front door, so if troublesome kids decided to vandalize, they wouldn't steal or defile it to alarm poor Higashizawa. He found a spare key in the drawer, so he locked the front door behind him on his way out, knowing that he could let himself in if he felt inclined to.

Dogenzaka was so quiet and peaceful in the morning... perhaps too quiet. The backstreets were long and empty, as if all the hardcore party animals slept in daylight. Megumi was the lone wanderer, scoping the still scenery for signs of life. He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. Also for a moment, he wondered if he was moving anywhere at all, because the scenery stayed relatively static. He whistled nervously to himself. He usually wasn't the type to be scared of being alone, but something about Dogenzaka when it was dead seemed terrifying.

_"Death is terrifying..."_ He thought. The great unknown that was the ultimate fate of an individual's life. He felt too alone, forced to face this huge obstacle by himself - the obstacle that was life. There seemed to be moving shadows on the walls. He wasn't quite sure what was real and what was imaginary anymore. He knew he would be forced to examine his life, since Higashizawa had forcefully intervened. Suddenly... Megumi wasn't sure if he was a friend or an enemy. "Why did you come into my life?" He whispered with resentment. "I used to have no regrets..."

_"Megu-san ~ I'll find you."_

"Shut up, Michi." Megumi grimaced.

_"If I don't, somebody will."_

"Not Higashizawa." Megumi said. "He better not betray me."

An unfamiliar figure approached him, taking on a terrifying spiritual form. A ghost, perhaps. A spirit, more likely. The grim reaper, to be precise. He was hovering above the ground, closing in on him. He reached out his hand for Megumi to take. Megumi physically responded by throwing himself to the ground and crouching into a fearful position. "DON'T KILL ME!" He shrieked in paranoia, holding on tightly to himself and breathing rapidly. His eyes were tightly shut. When nothing happened for a few moments, one eye opened and scanned the horizon. The coast was clear. Was that a vision?

Suddenly, the cool morning air was haunted by the sound that mimicked laughing hyenas when they were prepared to group together and maul their unsuspecting victim. Megumi stood still, goosebumps formed and a shiver went up his spine. The fight-or-flight mechanism took over, and he instantly bolted down the street to find shelter. He had mindlessly wandered while thinking, and ended up getting lost, so he had no idea how to return to Higashizawa's place. Behind him was the disturbing sound of multiple footsteps - something was chasing him, straight out of a nightmare. He was trying to not yelp in terror as he tore down the avenue. Around a corner he went, and silence followed. He hadn't made up his mind on whether that was a good or bad omen.

"GOTCHYA!" A gloved hand went over his mouth, and the other dragged him back by the long hair. He emitted a muffled shriek and stumbled backward, almost to the floor, because of how frail and malnourished he was.

"Wait, boss, I don't think this is..." Megumi looked up and realized he was surrounded by young troublemakers. They were probably either rebellious high schoolers or drop-outs struggling to survive on the streets. He couldn't figure out what they wanted. He couldn't help it that fear went rampant in his heart.

"It's not a woman..." Megumi blinked. Oh. So THAT'S what they were trying to do. Extremely outraged by being made a victim, he tore himself free from this so-called group leader.

"Oh!" The leader exclaimed a little too late; Megumi had already turned around, and stared him down, eye-to-eye. Before he could utter another word, he was punched hard in the face, causing him to stumble and fall backward. The group he was with tried to react, but Megumi was relentless - he struck so rapidly, blood began to splatter on the ground.

"'EY! 'EY!" Someone - probably the sidekick - yelled, and he tried breaking up the fight. He couldn't have a proper grip on Megumi's form-fitting black sweater. Oh wait, that was why he was confused for a woman. He forgot to change out of Michi's clothes and check to see if his laundry was ready yet. Of course, since he was very agile and impossible to catch, due to his slippery snake-like form. Five aggressive teenagers had to attempt pulling him down by the hair (The last resort was always the hair).

What stopped him wasn't the hair-tugging. He finally got exhausted and drained from so much beating - his hands were sore. They were also covered in blood - not his, but the thug leader's. He blankly stared and only then, after the entire defensive mechanism had its way, he realized what he had done. "Oh no..." He whispered. He could get in serious trouble.

"Guhhh..." The leader groaned on the pavement, probably from all the blood he lost.

"You okay, man?" One of his buddies asked.

"Errrr..." He rolled over, placing his gloved hands over his face. "One... Two... Threeeeeee... Fifteen..."

"YOU BROKE HIM!" A thug said, slamming skeletal Megumi against a wall. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

The leader moaned on the floor. "3.1415926535..."

"Never mind. He's okay." The same thug replied. "You're still gonna pay for messing with us."

"How old are you children anyway?" Megumi scoffed. "Thirteen?" This statement really angered them.

"Shut up for a second, at the very least." The gangster sat upright, his face covered in blood, and his eyes wide with murderlust desires. "First, you broke my face. Second, you dress like a girl. Third, we own Dogenzaka - the penalties for abusing authority are quite extreme."

"You're high schoolers." Megumi folded his arms. "You don't own anything, not even yourselves."

"You better take that back, girly man." The leader threatened. "Or I'll be the one smashing your face in."

"Go ahead and try." Megumi smiled. "I dare you."

He hesitated and faltered, his gloved hand still etching the injured lines of his once-perfect facial features. Just like a child would, he tried shaking off threats to make it seem as if he was winning some argument or bet. "I would, but I'm afraid you'll crumble, the skinny twig you are."

Megumi knew that the reason the entire gang didn't ambush him was because they were afraid he was some sort of martial arts professional. He had the looks and body for it, with sharp blunt joints and long limbs for great reach. All six of them seemed to be keeping their distance, including the ringleader. They didn't leave, because they didn't want this incident to show up in their reputation around the district - they wanted to be known as the fearsome locals that terrorized the nightlife scene of Dogenzaka. They stalled and hesitated, trying to find if there was some way to appear to be tough without fleeing.

"Sho, c'mon, let's go." The sidekick urged. "This loser's probably gonna drown when the rain comes back in. Doesn't look like he has a place to go, either."

The mastermind leader of the Dogenzaka Gang, Sho Minamimoto, hesitated to leave from this spot. He was deeply disturbed by Megumi's strength - he was still trying to wipe all the blood off his face. In all his life, he never received a beating. It was different this time, because they thought they were ganging up on a weak and defenseless woman. Granted, Megumi could be female and still physically destroy them, but in their foolish young minds, they tried exerting strength over who they perceived to be meek. "Oh no, please. Continue your foolishness. I'd love to set you in line." Megumi challenged.

"A'right." Sho stepped forward. "That's it, grandpa. No more."

"What do you think you're going to do?" Megumi chuckled. "Kill me?"

"Precisely." Sho pulled out a loaded pistol from his back pocket. "Usually, these bullets are for special people, but seeing you're the first dude in the world who's ever tried jacking up my face, I'm gonna reserve a special one just for you."

Megumi was terrified, but inwardly, he felt this unusual passiveness. He knew if he died on the streets of Dogenzaka, he'd have to explain himself to Higashizawa - why he broke his promise and let himself get killed in a ridiculous, unusual fashion. _"Hey, Higashizawa. I got into a brawl with some high school brats. They shot me. I hope that's cool with you."_ What was hilarious was that at that moment, his greatest concern was exactly that. He sighed, running a hand through his long black hair, saying, "That wouldn't be necessary. Apologize for jumping me, and I'll apologize for teaching you a lesson."

Sho cringed, tightening his grip on the trigger. "I don't say sorry."

"Pity." Megumi mused. "Your mother apparently didn't teach you any manners." He suddenly wondered if he was being idiotic by upsetting the kid with a gun.

Enraged, Sho didn't hesitate to fire a bullet. Thanks to Megumi's lightning-quick reflexes, it struck the side of a house, leaving a bullet hole in the drywall. "DAMMIT!" Sho growled, proceeding to empty the pistol's contents wherever it deemed necessary. The thugs stood back and tried their best to avoid the fury of death raining upon them. He panted heavily, murder written on his blood-stained face.

Megumi had a very peaceful, yet disturbed, expression on his face. He looked down at the skin-tight black sweater, and there it was. A bullet was lodged into his shoulder, the orifice trickling droplets of red liquid. Now Megumi had a vengeance, and he was keen on carrying it out. With a simple, swift movement, he reached out and dislocated Sho's wrist, causing him to drop the pistol. From there, he jabbed a knee into his ribcage and smashed his face into the pavement. "Usually, violence is not the answer, and I would agree with that." Megumi hummed. "However... You're obviously out for severe harm, perhaps to the point of robbing someone of their life. I am not okay with that. Punks like you have no right to tell people whether they can live or die. Let's hope that this was a misunderstanding, and that _we never cross paths again._ Do I make myself CLEAR?"

Sho's body was limp and lifeless. Curious, Megumi tried picking him up by the collar of his jacket, but his head lolled to the side. "Oh no... I killed him..." He whispered to himself. At this sight, the gang members dispersed into the side-streets and fled from the crime scene. "No. This is not okay. He can't be dead. Does he have a pulse?" Megumi desperately checked for any sign of life. He rolled the boy over onto his back; he wasn't breathing, and it was evident he lost a lot of blood. "Come on. I was angry at you, but you didn't have to die on me. Shooting me in the shoulder wasn't the death penalty. Please tell me you're kidding. Wake up." He lightly tapped his face - no response.

Megumi was afraid that any CPR he'd attempt would result in further damage of the body, making the situation increasingly hopeless. He frantically pressed his fingers against the boy's wrist for a pulse. Nothing. He then placed his fingers below the ear, where the jawline ended. There was a very faint rhythm. He was alive, but perhaps suffering a very serious concussion. Megumi didn't even realize he was incredibly strong. He couldn't just leave this poor injured teenager on the streets to die. He compromised to take him home to Higashizawa. Indeed, it would be awkward to explain the entire story, but he knew Higashizawa had a big heart and compassion towards others. He would probably allow Sho to stay temporarily. After he compromised it in his head, Megumi lifted Sho up into his arms, and wandered the somewhat familiar streets to find a way back to Higashizawa's place.

-15:30-

"I'm home..." Higashizawa softly announced as he lugged his heavy bag inside. He promptly shut the door and locked it, his back facing the living room. He curiously removed the note that Megumi attached to the interior of the door, and started to read it.

"Don't turn around." Megumi pleaded. Of course, this request made Higashizawa want to turn around immediately.

"Why...?" Higashizawa asked, desperately refraining from looking over his shoulder.

"Um... There's been an accident..." Megumi croaked, his voice weakened with fear of the giant's reaction.

"I see you've been out." Higashizawa finished reading the note. "Please tell me this doesn't involve death wishes."

Megumi hesitated, "Well... I found this injured boy on the road, and..." Sometimes, he hated how naturally he could lie. "...Can we keep him?"

Higashizawa was very quiet for several minutes. It was alarming that it took him minutes to think. The entire time, Megumi was bracing himself for being kicked out into the streets, or perhaps being personally thrown off the Miyashita Bridge by Higashizawa. He started jumping to childish, irrational conclusions, probably after the illogical hussle in Dogenzaka earlier. Being around younger people tended to lower Megumi's intellect, hence why he hated such interactions. "He can stay..." Higashizawa slightly nodded. "We have to nurse him back to health."

"Please don't panic when you turn around." Megumi pleaded. "He looks really bad."

Higashizawa inhaled, preparing for the worst. When he turned around, he saw that Megumi had lined the floor with towels and blankets. The boy looked to be around eighteen years old. He was breathing very slowly, his eyes shut tight, and he didn't move. There were tourniquets around his arms, and his head especially had several bandages and towels. The sight was overwhelming, but mysteriously, Higashizawa initially didn't have much of a reaction. "That is really bad..." He finally gaped.

"I know, I'm so sorry..." Megumi squeaked.

"You're injured, too!" Higashizawa noticed the blood on Megumi's shoulder was his. "What exactly HAPPENED while I was gone?" Exasperated, he plopped his heavy bag onto the couch with a thud. Next, he instinctively paced back-and-forth with his hands behind his back. He was getting himself worked up. "Is getting into life-and-death situations a daily occasion for you?" He placed two fingers on his temples and rubbed them in exhausted thought.

"No, I assure you that's not the case..." Megumi tried searching his mind for excuses. He considered either telling the truth, which might disgust Higashizawa to the point of violence, or using distracting stories that sound realistic enough to be believed for a temporary period of time. He finally decided to tell partial truths. "Okay. There was a shoot-out."

Higashizawa's eyes widened. "That explains all the blood... Where did you go in order to get caught up in something like that?"

"Actually, not far..." Megumi whispered. "I just went a few blocks from here, still in the borders of Dogenzaka."

Higashizawa stared momentarily, and then groaned, "The crime's getting worse around here, isn't it? Great. Just lovely. Were you jumped by those local kids? The jerks with the skull hats and fancy pants? Belt buckles, loose sleeves, and bling?"

"Yee... Yes." Megumi hesitated. "In fact, this is their leader." It was only after he blurted out the truth that he ended up wishing he held his tongue.

"What." Higashizawa said. "WHAT?" In an outburst, his muscles seemed to intimidatingly portrude and bulge before his sight. Megumi crawled back slightly in dismay. With an animalistic roar, he picked up the couch and threw it into the mini hallway, blocking the entrance to the kitchen. He huffed; his entire body swayed to his deep breath, and his muscles were so large, they nearly tore his clothes open.

"Please calm down..." Megumi said in a cold sweat. He didn't want to display any sort of fear. His heart was racing, as he knew there was some tension between Higashizawa and the neighborhood kids - he had no clue it was this bad. "I just saw some poor, injured kid, and thought I should help-"

"He's demonic." Higashizawa crossed his massive arms. Since he was staring at the upside-down couch, his back faced them once more. "Whatever happened to that kid, he deserved it. He had it coming. In fact, you should've let him die on the streets. That would've made the world a better place."

Megumi's jaw dropped, "I thought you were about kindness and compassion... After all, you saved me."

"You don't vandalize homes, harm innocent pedestrians, and dedicate your life to breaking the law." Higashizawa spoke in a low, deep voice, almost as if he embodied the law himself. "You're not a piece of garbage who's thrown his life away, and out of jealousy, tried throwing others' ambitions, passions, and dreams out the window yourself. You're not that incredibly selfish and moronic. Unfortunately, this lowlife is."

"That's extraordinarily judgmental for somebody like you..." Megumi said softly. "You painted yourself a portrait that was so different. I had no idea. I'm so disappointe-"

"Don't say that..." Higashizawa's voice broke. His confident, erect posture transformed into a depressed, hunched-over stance. It seemed as if he was holding back tears by the way he sounded. "Please, Mr. Kitaniji, I have limits... I can only take so much..."

"Is it that much to ask just to help this kid recover?" Megumi frowned. "It might take just a few days..."

"Try months." Higashizawa corrected. "With all that blood he lost, I'm surprised he's not dead. In fact..." Suddenly, his mood brightened. "Maybe he's so horribly injured, he will die!"

Megumi blinked. "Whatever happened to human life being sacred?"

"Exceptions, exceptions..." Higashizawa chuckled maniacally under his breath. "Okay. He stays, as promised earlier. If he lives, he can return to running rampant on the streets, and destroying this peaceful neighborhood. If he dies, I'll consider that as justice."

"Oh... Kay..." Megumi said, surprised to hear such words from this giant - he didn't seem to be the type to enjoy the misfortune of others. Perhaps he had been personally wounded by this kid, and unable to find the time or effort to seek vengence, he had been hoping something horrible would happen to him. Megumi gulped at the thought.

"Nnnn..." Sho murmured. Higashizawa growled in exasperation and went to his room to not view what would upset him.

"Shush." Megumi said. "Preserve your voice." He wasn't particularly good at being nurturing. He placed a towel in a bowl of warm water, and began using it to wipe off the blood.

"But I see everything..." Sho insisted, though his eyes remained shut. "I can finally see everything now..."

"You're having a dream." Megumi guessed. "Now please, don't bother me. I'm trying to clean your wounds."

"No, no, like... Everything." Sho persisted. "I can see infinity. I know what it's like. I've been there."

"I... see." Megumi mused, surprised that the boy wasn't flinching in pain whenever he tended to the bleeding regions.

"I think you've knocked sense into me." Sho said drearily. His eyes flew open and he looked impressed. "You're God."

"No, I'm not." Megumi dropped a towel over Sho's eyes, specifically because it was overflowing with warm water. He didn't move at all. Megumi was expecting some painful reaction, but there was none.

"Ever since then, I've been able to see things in numbers..." Sho continued. "This vast, linear plane of existence, and how we're all quickly approaching our limits."

"Sounds like calculus." Megumi commented passively - like he cared.

"Yeah!" Sho described. "I'm a high school drop-out. Honestly, I was too awesome to learn anything. I was born already knowing everything. Sooo... It was a huge waste of time and I left. Ever since then, I've been able to figure out exactly how this world works. All that was missing was the numbers. Somehow, after you hit me... Now I can see the world of numbers."

Megumi became concerned. "I'm convinced I gave you a massive concussion, and now you're delusional."

"Nuh..." Sho's words slurred. "Now I'm a genius."

"You're uneducated." Megumi folded his arms. "How can you be a genius?"

"A mathematical genius..." Sho grinned, the towel still blocking his eyesight. "So now life's beautiful..."

"Congratulations." Megumi said insincerely. He wished he hadn't knocked common sense out of his head.

"You're welcome..." Sho dozed off almost instantly. The snoring was quite loud.

"Yup, brain damage." Megumi commented.

**-Author's Notes-**

It was a struggle to figure out how to introduce Sho Minamimoto (the most popular Reaper amongst the fans, apparently) into the plot, while trying to remain original, keep him in character, and portray him in a way that would be surprising but somehow expected. I've always pictured him being a very rebellious teenager, perhaps even a gang leader, who would stir trouble everywhere he went. The twist is that although he had always been a genius, had he not crossed paths with Megumi, he probably wouldn't have his knack for mathematics and fine arts. Also, his insanity probably came from the brain damage delivered by such an encounter. It would take something like that to produce such a brilliant character, in my opinion. It was a risk to take in writing this chapter. Nonetheless, reviews would be nice, since the story is still in its infancy and my portrayal of characters might be slightly off at the start. Much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 4: Bitter Enemies

**Chapter IV: **Bitter Enemies

AntiFiction

06-29-2012

(4)

What an intriguing night. As usual after his near-suicide experience, Megumi would wake up at the darkest hour. Still caught somewhere between awake and asleep, he happily mused about how wonderful life was... and then he snapped out of it. He didn't bother turning on the lights, as his eyes were perfectly adjusted to its moonlit surroundings. His yawning sounded like painful groaning, and although his mind was suddenly curious about the status of the near-dead gangster, his body was numb from exhaustion. He nearly forgot that he spent half of the night arguing with the teenager.

He glanced at his shoulder, which Higashizawa had neatly wrapped in gauze. It was blood-stained, but thankfully his friend was able to remove the bullet. The skin showed some signs of infection, but the two were hoping the wound would heal itself. Medical intervention was the last thing they needed. After all, they housed someone who attempted murder... and then attempted to murder the murderer! However, Megumi was sympathetic to the fact that the boy was young and probably homeless.

A light rattling sound came from the living room floor, where he was left to spend the night. Megumi felt compelled to investigate. His eyes darted back and forth - at the window, then to the door. Determined, he hopped out of bed and quickly applied his sunglasses to his face. They were completely unnecessary. Frankly, they made him blind at night. However, he felt as if they were concealing his true identity, so they made him feel safe. The people he interacted with obviously revealed their faces to him in honesty, and although they were marvelous human beings, he could not trust them enough to share the true reason behind his suicidal nature.

Megumi snuck into the tiny hallway and made it to the living room. There was Sho, propped upright and working on something. He couldn't tell what it was, but Megumi felt endangered by it. He quickly turned on the lights without thinking, blinding both of them temporarily. Sho was desperately screaming about his eyes, and Megumi could only see gleams of white through his shades. Naturally, the commotion awoke the residential hulk, who stormed into the room with a surprisingly calm composure.

"... Explain yourselves." Higashizawa demanded, his arms folded and his eyes still closed.

"DON'T JUDGE..." Sho's speech slurred. He still wore blood-stained gauze around his forehead, making him appear to be the recipient of extensive brain surgery. "This my masterpiece." He stated plainly. "Don't talk loud, it'll fall."

Higashizawa peered his eyes open and glanced over at this so-called masterpiece. It was a huge mountain of rotten food that Sho dug out of a trashcan. Probably because everybody was used to breathing the air, nobody noticed the stench of the decomposing masterpiece. "Mm-hmm." Higashizawa cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to kill you. Right now."

"Where's my gun?" Sho continued slurring, patting his hips in expectation of pockets. "I kill you first."

With a massive swing, Higashizawa's aim was perfect. The young thug flew majestically through the air for half a second, and crashlanded into his own masterpiece of rotting garbage. It collapsed and buried him, and victorious laughter uproared from the cook.

"Children." Megumi shook his head, and clasped a few fingers around his sunglasses. "Is all this violence really going to solve anything?"

"Hypochondriac." Sho accused, and pointed his finger at Megumi.

"You mean hypocrite?" Higashizawa briefly blushed. "... You're an idiot."

"Says the fat guy." Sho muttered after finally pulling himself out of garbage.

Higashizawa abruptly picked up Sho, threw him ten feet across the room, and watched how his landing caused heaps of furniture to fall onto him. "... Says the dead guy." Higashizawa folded his arms.

"Stop!" Megumi pleaded. "I have an apology to make. I caused this mess. I brought the injured kid here thinking we could help him. Obviously, I was wrong - he's a complete psychopath, and you two don't get along at all. So if I've caused you too much trouble, Higashizawa, I'm leaving. It's probably best for the both of us."

Higashizawa shot a death glare and mouthed silently, "DON'T. LEAVE. ME. ALONE. WITH. HIM."

Sho stumbled to his feet, barely able to maintain his balance, and he finally could articulate some of his thoughts, "Indeed leave, you sick murderous bastard. I've got a score to settle with the beached whale nonetheless, so scram."

"Don't make me wreck my own apartment." Higashizawa sighed. "You know I'll pummel you. Without a weapon, you're defenseless."

"Wrong." Sho said. Suddenly, he bolted into the hallway. There was faint panting as he scrambled and disappeared into a room.

"He just ran away?" Megumi rose an eyebrow.

"Oh hell no." Higashizawa stormed through the cramped walkway, and proceeded to pummel the thug. The sounds from that room - it was as if a murder was taking place. There were lots of protests and screams, and plenty of thuds and deep grunts. Finally, Higashizawa emerged, dragging the limp body that was Sho with him. "There. I killed him. All is right with the world."

"No, it isn't!" Megumi clutched onto his raven hair. "You killed someone!" Quickly, he took the lifeless Sho into his arms, and checked for a pulse. The wrist seemed completely unreliable, so he used the jawline. "Wow, he's a fighter."

"Don't tell me he's still alive." Higashizawa groaned. "Not after I painted my room in his blood."

"He's alive." Megumi nodded. "Though suddenly... I'm not so sure about your motives anymore, Higashizawa. You're not who I thought you were. Kind? Compassionate? Nurturing? Self-sacrificial? Maybe even loving? No. You're none of those things. Whatever you accuse this poor child to be, you ARE."

Higashizawa burst into tears. Megumi did not expect that, and in seldom-shown fear, he stumbled back. The unconscious Sho fell onto his lap in the process, still barely breathing. Overwhelming sympathy flooded inside Megumi, as it was heartbreaking to watch such a calm person cry. Symbolically, Sho was the stumbling block between them, and in recognition of this disturbance, Megumi relocated him to the living room floor. He approached Higashizawa, whom he initially thought was insensitive, and he knelt down to place a hand on his shoulder.

"... You're right." Higashizawa whispered, unable to speak.

"No, I'm not." Megumi frowned. "I'm coming in defense of a stranger, and reacting based on bias and misjudgments. When I look at you, I am sometimes reminded of myself. What Michi is to me, the thug probably is to you."

Higashizawa looked up in enlightenment, tears clouding his beautiful green eyes. He suddenly understood the similarity Megumi was talking about. "Mr. Kitaniji... You always know what to say." He chuckled softly, humbly trying to remove the tears from his eyes.

"It's human nature." Megumi admitted. "We all have enemies. We all have people who don't like us. We all have people who wish the worst upon us. We all have dark sides. Negativity is just a part of life. It's so normal."

"He's horrible..." Higashizawa referred to Sho, and instinctively curled up to fetal position. At that moment, Megumi realized how fragile even the strong are. "I'd hate to bore you this early in the morning, but... If you wish, I can tell you exactly what kind of person he is."

Megumi felt a strong connection between them, and unfortunately, it was based on the fact they both had deep resentment towards particular individuals. Nonetheless, his curiosity was already piqued. "Yes. Please do tell."

"I'm not sure how much you can believe this, but I once had a family." Higashizawa buried his face into his knees, and refused to look up at that point. He was gasping heavily, and suddenly, the crying became weeping.

Megumi suddenly had an idea where this was going, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. "I can believe that." He said quietly. "You don't seem like an orphan. It's like a friendly stray cat... if they're nice to people, they were once somebody's beloved pet."

Higashizawa nodded and inhaled deeply, trying his best to proceed with his explanation. "They loved me..." His voice was thick with misery. "I loved them..."

"No remorse, dear boy. The past is the past." Megumi patted his shoulder. "Go on."

"... They're gone." Higashizawa sobbed.

"Is it because of him?" Megumi pointed to the living room.

Higashizawa reluctantly nodded. "I haven't seen them since..."

"Are they still alive?" Megumi pressed.

"Of course they are." Higashizawa looked up momentarily. "They just never want to see me again."

"Well, come on!" Megumi groaned. "If you don't clearly explain yourself, it's going to be hard for me to help you!"

"You won't tell me why you're suicidal." Higashizawa wiped his tears on his sleeve and glared. "I've had it rough too, but I haven't gone to the point where I'd kill myself. That's pathetic."

Megumi mentally chuckled at himself for being so desperate. "Mm-hmm." He placed his hands on his hips. "Tell you what. You tell me your story, I'll tell you my story. Deal?"

Higashizawa's eyes widened at the opportunity. "Deal."

"Now bore me!" Megumi demanded, referring to his earlier offer of demonstrating why Sho was such a horrible person.

"Okay, so..." Higashizawa could speak clearly, as the tears had somewhat stopped. "This was back in high school. If you can believe it, I was made fun of for being severely underweight. I was bones, like you. Regardless of what people thought, I had something most didn't have: ambition. I had this undying drive to make the world a better place. Since an early age, I plotted out my career, and knew exactly what I was going to do with my life. I worked so hard, and I was so smart... Was..."

"You still are." Megumi reassured him. "Don't lose faith in yourself. Continue."

"I have two younger sisters." Higashizawa demonstrated with his fingers. "Wow, it's been a while since I've referred to them in present tense..." He seemed disturbed.

"So we both have younger sisters. Interesting!" Megumi mused.

"Torisha and Ema." Higashizawa said softly. "Torisha is only a year and a half younger than I am. In high school, she was completely obsessed with dating, to the point it was disgusting."

"That would explain why you're not interested in dating." Megumi noted.

"It's not that I'm not interested." Higashizawa said. "It's that I think it's wrong."

"Huh..." Megumi's eyebrows shot up. "Continue."

"Sho went to the same high school I went to." Higashizawa said. "We met two years ago. I was a senior, he was a sophomore and so was Torisha. She's always been the type for bad boys, so she instantly fell head over heels for him. What pursued was a neglectful relationship beyond the likes you can imagine. They ignored each other, they fought with each other, and finally, he influenced her in the worst ways. He used her, and my family fell apart."

"How is that possible?" Megumi asked.

"My parents separated." Higashizawa sighed. "Torisha ran off with Sho when she was just sixteen, and she hasn't been seen since. There were theories of manslaughter, but we don't really know what happened to her... and we never will."

"Don't say that." Megumi said. "You don't know until there's evidence."

"She's been missing for two years." Higashizawa said. "Who did they blame for her disappearance? Me."

"You!" Megumi facepalmed. "That's ridiculous! It's not like you introduced them or forced them to date."

"... I was in charge the night she disappeared." Higashizawa softly muttered. "I was playing games on my laptop. She walked over to my sliding door and said she was going for a walk. She said she'd be back soon. This was VERY abnormal behavior, but like the distracted idiot I was, I said... See you later!" Tears ran down his face after he recalled those words.

"But... How did you get to college if you don't have contact with your family anymore?" Megumi asked.

"How do you think? Loans." Higashizawa rolled his eyes. "Well, and scholarships. My parents pressured me to leave after they lost my sister, and said that I was the one who deserved to be lost... So I packed my bags and went to college. They don't know where I am, and they don't care. Poor Ema has to put up with the aftermath of my actions." He buried his face again, but continued speaking. "All this tragedy and mental distraction has been disastrous on me. When I entered college, I slowly degraded into an idiot. Instead of studying more, I studied less. Instead of caring much more than I did in high school, I practically didn't care at all. Instead of being eager to learn, I've been eager to just survive."

"Apologies for making this mental connection..." Megumi said in advance. "Please don't hit me."

"I wouldn't, Mr. Kitaniji." Higashizawa promised. "You're too kind for putting up with all this drama."

"I'm not saying you're fat." Megumi insisted. "HOWEVER, the aforementioned growth spurt seems to be caused by the loss of family. Is your size the result of such stress?"

Higashizawa sighed. "Ta-dah. I had to fill the void of my family with something."

"That makes complete sense!" Megumi was amazed. "Yet somehow in just two years, you've managed to transform yourself into an impressively strong man."

"Well, thank you." Higashizawa blushed. "Bozo over there thinks it's fat."

Megumi glanced over and saw Sho's leg twitch. "I don't see how. Last time I studied human anatomy, I thought that tissue that concentrates on the arms and chest was muscle." He shrugged. "Correct me if I'm wrong."

"I have a belly." Higashizawa frowned. "You've seen it."

"Indeed I have." Megumi said. "But it becomes muscle!"

"Some of it does." Higashizawa sighed. "For the most part, it stays in my stomach. Why do you think I wear jackets even as summer's approaching? It's to hide it."

"Well, what's so embarrassing about packing on a little weight?" Megumi asked. "I'd kill for the ability to do that right now."

"Social stigmas." Higashizawa's eyes rolled. "You've probably never heard them, because it's one of those subliminal, universal taboos that float around mainstream society. You're not big, so you don't have to put up with it."

"Just... beat up whoever makes fun of you." Megumi said. "You have the strength to do it."

"That would be tiresome." Higashizawa groaned. "I'd have to beat up society."

"Everyone!" Megumi laughed. "Come on. People like me do exist somewhere."

"True." Higashizawa observed. "If there's one of you, there's naturally more of you."

"Precisely!" Megumi clapped. "Congratulations, Higashizawa."

Higashizawa's eyes widened, and in a split second, he went into an outburst. "NO... THANK YOU!" He roared, throwing his muscular arms around Megumi in a grateful, informal embrace.

"What did I do?" Megumi muffled against Higashizawa.

"You brought the enemy to me!" Higashizawa cackled. "Not only can I use him as a personal punching bag, but I can also get information out of him! Maybe he knows exactly what happened to Torisha. Sure, maybe it's very horrible and I don't want to know, but just maybe... Just like me, she's independent and alive somewhere..." He sounded so hopeful.

"Brilliant idea!" Megumi said. "That is, if he has any memory left in him. I'd be surprised if retained any brain function after all the beatings he's endured."

"... Oops." Higashizawa said.

"Look, Higashizawa, I was wrong." Megumi proudly admitted. "You proved yourself. You have confirmed that you are sensitive and understanding. However, I think right now, it is your most fatal flaw."

"Yeah?" Higashizawa noticed. "How do I fix it?"

"You could use it to such an advantage." Megumi grinned. "Let the brat do the talking. Let him make fun of you. Let him call you all sorts of names. Let him make a fool out of himself. He's immature and we both know it."

"But what about defending my honor?" Higashizawa frowned. "I can't let him call me names and get away with it..."

"He wants you to hit him." Megumi stated. "He wants you to pummel him. When I met him, he seemed like he enjoyed causing trouble. He started the shoot-out, after all. He is probably attention deficient, and desperately seeks it everywhere he goes, especially if it's negative attention. Poor thing has probably been criticized for so long, it's all he expects from people. If you're the bigger person, and you are, you will let him speak with no consequences."

"That does make me seem strong, doesn't it?" Higashizawa mused.

"It doesn't make you SEEM strong, you are strong!" Megumi insisted. "Stop putting yourself down, dammit! It's like you're blind to your own natural qualities."

Higashizawa laughed. "I have qualities?"

"Yes!" Megumi refrained from applying his forehead to his hand in a violent manner. "Right now, you're sensitive, and caving in to his attention-craving attributes. If you're unresponsive, and perhaps make NO contact with him at all, you're superior in a way. Enigma is always admirable."

"You're right, Mr. Kitaniji." Higashizawa's jaw dropped. "You're so smart."

"I was inspired by you." Megumi chuckled.

"No, no, Mr. Kitaniji!" Higashizawa wanted to humble himself by denouncing his intelligence, but finally, he changed his attitude around. "It's just... such an honor. Thank you."

"It's nothing." Megumi smiled. "So... We should try waking up the thug. This time, no reactions to his violence."

"Yes, sir." Higashizawa said. "I promise."

"And you're a man of your word." Megumi reminded him.

When Sho regained consciousness, he saw the looming shady figure over him - the last person he wanted to see. Forever, he would hold resentment to him for attempting to kill him. He glanced over to find the giant, and amidst the fuzzy pictures his mind made out, he found him. How strange - he was perched on the couch in a sophisticated manner, observing with passive interest. The sounds they were producing were garbled and nonsensical. To provoke a reaction, he said, "SHUT UP."

Nothing. How strange. They continued talking, so Sho screamed louder. "SHUT UUUUUUP. SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP." Still nothing. They continued talking. Fearlessly, despite all major injuries he endured, he tried to physically struggle against the skeletal figure hovering above him.

"You shut up." He finally heard the firm voice say. He had the feeling that if he valued his life whatsoever, he would heed the warning. He clamped his mouth shut and sighed in extreme frustration. He wanted to make a witty comeback, but chose instead to lie there until his senses returned to him. It took a while, but eventually, his sense of touch returned in the form of seering pain. It was very severe.

"Holy secant, was I hit by a train?" His eyes watered up, and his only functional arm clutched onto his broken frame.

Megumi glanced over his shoulder at Higashizawa, with a look that could be translated as, "See? It's human. Told you so."

"Indeed, I am afraid you have died." Megumi joked, yet hoped that he would be taken seriously. Higashizawa was holding back laughter on the couch.

"That's impossible..." Sho frowned. "... I'm immortal."

"Truth be told, you have been physically disabled." Megumi explained. "You're not dead yet, but you're thethering on the border of life and death. If you'd like to stay alive, then please, cooperate with me."

"I'd rather die." Sho rolled his eyes.

"This is serious." Megumi said. "Naturally, we have preserved your life and will not further injure you, as you are unarmed. Your gun has been confiscated, and we're currently in the process of-"

"Geez, lady, are you a cop?" Sho interrupted.

Megumi dropped his voice lower. "No. I am just a businessman."

"... Oh." Sho's eyes widened. "What authority did you have in assaulting me, then?"

"Self-defense." Megumi folded his arms. "Now would you please work with me? I can't tend to your broken limbs with all the fussing."

"The only way you're going to do that is if beach ball over there kills me." Sho pointed to Higashizawa.

The silent giant stared back, and suddenly seemed to be much more intimidating. Dreadlocks covered half of his face, his muscles were quite visible through his jacket, his legs were crossed as if he was anticipating to watch thoughtfully for a long time, and his eyes seemed to be glowing for a moment there. He seemed to be the grim reaper himself. The illusion Sho formed in his mind frightened him.

"If you absolutely wish, we can let you die on the floor here. It's totally fine." Megumi said.

"No..." Sho breathed. "I want to live." He couldn't look back at Higashizawa anymore, so he fully ignored him. In the background, Higashizawa pumped his fist in triumph.

"Okay, so will you do what I say?" Megumi asked.

"Negative." Sho said.

"Just sedate him first." Higashizawa suggested, his voice sounding more booming and doomish than usual. Sho was somewhat shaking, in response.

"No, no, no, I'll cooperate." Sho lied. He was afraid that by sedation, they meant euthanizing him. "Tell me exactly what you want me to do." He sounded way too fake to be sincere.

"Stay still." Megumi requested. "That is all."

"Pff, simple." Sho bragged. When Megumi lightly touched his arm, he yelped, "No unnecessary division!"

"Silence." Megumi said, and instantly, Sho looked uneasy and avoided eye contact. "You better start explaining yourself." Normally, Megumi would be polite and refined, as would Higashizawa. However, this was an irrational number. It would be very difficult to reason with him, since he was dangerous to himself and others, and severely injured. Excessive pain would cloud any mind.

"Neh, you don't care." Sho chuckled. "You're all wealthy, and loved, with families - people like you don't give a damn what it's like to experience complete subtraction."

Megumi and Higashizawa gave stupid stares to each other, realizing how ludicrous it was that all three of them had the same issue. They all had lost everything at one point in their lives. They didn't trust this thug with much information, and they were quite sure Sho equally didn't trust them, so it didn't seem like they could easily dig for his life story. It had been so natural for Megumi and Higashizawa to talk, as they were kindred spirits in nearly every way. It was much more difficult to speak to somebody as elusive and shady as Sho.

"Regardless, were you trying to rape me?" Megumi was blunt.

"No thanks." Sho said. "All that happened was that you trespassed into our boundaries, and you seemed to be weak and defenseless, so we decided to mob you. That's all. Well, yeah, and it was surprising that you weren't a woman - what with the long hair, petite physique, and beautiful-"

Megumi slammed his hand over Sho's mouth to prevent him from finishing that sentence. Higashizawa calmly sang, "Composure, Mr. Kitaniji ~"

"Right." Megumi slid back and folded his arms in disgust. "I've also noticed that you're very... numerically minded."

"Indeed." Sho said. "Granted, I don't incorporate it into my daily vocabulary, but yeah. I think about it quite often."

"Actually... You're starting to speak in numbers." Megumi observed.

"Positively negative!" Sho yelled. "There is more to my euclidean space than the wonderful world of mathematics! It is incomprehensible and illogical to make the statement that the magnificent Sho speaks in numerical terms if, and only if, provoked into an eccentric state of asymptotic symmetry!"

Megumi and Higashizawa blankly stared at each other. "How hard did you hit him?" Higashizawa asked.

"And how much harder did you hit him after?" Megumi replied.

"I've been shattered to infinitesimal remains of my former glory." Sho raged. "If I am not perfectly symmetrical to the point I may be divided into two reflective surfaces, I will obliterate you. That is, when I'm restored to my shape."

Something caught Higashizawa's eye as Sho was throwing his tantrum. He noticed that Sho wore a very familiar necklace - it was Torisha's. The question was lingering in his mind, and he wanted to interrogate Sho relentlessly, but he couldn't. He felt that he needed to gain his enemy's trust first, if that was realistically possible. It seemed as if he would confess the truth only if there was a bond between them. Higashizawa never saw that happening, but knew that he needed honesty. So until some time had passed, he would wait, and tolerate this loser's presence.

"Do you have family, Sho?" Megumi asked casually.

"Hell no." Sho said.

"Did you ever?" Megumi pressed.

"NOPE." Sho replied. "Just so you shut up, I'll give it to you horizontally. I'm an orphan."

"Ha. I get it." Higashizawa said apathetically. "Horizontally because you're on the floor."

"Mountaineous heap of tessellation." Sho muttered under his breath. "Am I imprisoned here, and stuck to put up with you degenerates until you're through with pestering?"

"You're free to go anytime." Megumi said. "You're not trapped here. It'll just be hard to get out the door with three broken limbs."

"Curses." Sho fumed. "Okay, well, just leave me alone. I was doing fine constructing my bountiful masterpiece -" He looked over and saw that Higashizawa was demolishing it and placing it all in the trash again. Not only that, he took the trash out. Sho went into a furious tantrum. He couldn't move very far, so Megumi simply stepped back and moved over to the back wall. He waited until Higashizawa re-entered the room.

"No more masterpieces." Higashizawa demanded.

"You have to channel your creative energy towards something more... constructive." Megumi tried explaining it in terms Sho would understand.

"Pff, like what?" Sho asked.

"I don't know." Megumi admitted. "Your last masterpiece cost you three limbs."

"Foci." Sho hissed under his breath.

"Just try to calm down, and we'll check on you at dawn." Higashizawa said. "You ought to rest off that concussion."

"Don't tell me what to do." Sho frowned.

"Okay." Megumi switched off the lights. "Good night."

In darkness, the two elder men left. Sho was alone to himself. His instinct was to continue struggling to move, and ignore the hardcore, mind-blowing pain that was shooting through his system. His will was so strong, not even a crushed body could hold him down. However, he had approached his limit. His unsplinted legs were giving him so much grief, tears ran down his face. He proceeded to weep pathetically. This was music to Higashizawa's ears, so he fell asleep almost instantly. Megumi, on the other hand, was sick with grief. He kept tossing and turning, unable to get Sho's face out of his imagination. "Please no nightmares..." Megumi wished.

**-Author's Notes-**

Sho Minamimoto is one of the most difficult characters to write about. I say this because it's almost impossible to tell when you've overflooded his language with mathematical terms, and when you've made him too easy to understand. I've read many fanfictions that described Sho in painful ways, by placing excessive amounts of numerical terms in EVERY sentence. I did want Sho to display his characteristic insanity, but I didn't want to overdose him. I wanted him to be slightly unlikeable at first, but the kind of person that grows on you over time. After all, this is before he became a Reaper. This is when he's a typical high-schooler who happens to be a hardcore criminal. I did feel bad for reducing him to a broken shell, but it felt like it was a good turning point for his personality. This is literally the moment where he went from a normal troublemaker to an eccentric genius.

As for Megumi and Higashizawa... We'll see how that develops. I think this is quite fun so far, and I hope it isn't too slow-paced. It literally took about a month to figure out where the story was going. I figured it out, so I'm continuing. I hope to post chapters more often. Feedback is great. Yes. Continue with the feedback. Glad to know that the audience reactions are positive so far.


	6. Chapter 5: Trustworthy Allies

**Chapter V: **Trustworthy Allies

AntiFiction

08-03-2012

(5)

When Sho awoke, even he was convinced that he had brain damage. His jaw felt unhinged, so it was common that his mouth would hang open, followed by drooling. With his one good arm, it was possible to perch himself in an upright sitting position. He was aware that without assistance, he would starve to death. It would be tideous to travel by dragging on one arm, although it was possible with his bizarre ability to tolerate extreme amounts of pain. He could barely sleep with his back constantly aching, so he waited until morning for the other two to wake up. Like clockwork, they rose early, and there were typical sounds that implied they were preparing for the day. Sho waited impatiently, reassuring himself he could still count all five digits on his functional right hand.

"Morning." Megumi said when he arrived in the living room. He was dressed in his own clothes, rather than Michi's, so he finally appeared to be undoubtedly male.

"Happy sunrise, partner." Sho mocked, and made the gesture that could be best described as: pretending to play video games. He shrugged off the facade and said, "Look. I hate it here as much as you do. I think it would be best if we relocated to my headquarters-"

Megumi interrupted. "No. What you're doing is asking us to walk into a trap. You want us to turn ourselves in to the gang, so that we're killed by a bunch of teenagers with pistols. No thanks."

Sho was exasperated, "Look. I'm the only one with a pistol. Or was. See, I told the guys that if I made an unschedule disappearance, then who I chose as my heir would take over. I'm freaking out that they already chose-"

"They think you're dead." Megumi laughed heartlessly. "Of course they replaced you!"

"HEY, I don't irrationalize your coordinates when you're helpless." Sho huffed.

"I'm sorry I come off that way." Megumi said.

"Well, why don't we go to your place, then?" Sho asked. "Any place but the hippopotamus's place."

"Like you, I'm homeless." Megumi folded his arms. "Higashizawa is the only responsible one out of the three of us, who has a decent place to live in. Accept it, okay?"

"Homeless?" Sho couldn't believe it. "You're a BUSINESSMAN, how can you be homeless!"

"An ill-fated suicide attempt." Megumi wanted to get the conversation over with immediately. Sho stared blankly, and for the first time during his entire stay while conscious, he went quiet. This made Megumi worried, since it was always uncertain what Sho was thinking. He took advantage of the silence and sighed very loudly, walking back to his room to investigate his very few worldly possessions.

Behind closed doors, Higashizawa became suddenly self-conscious about the appearance of his apartment. Indeed nothing would be good enough for his enemy, and it was obvious that Sho would be primarily critical, but his perfectionism got the best of him. He could overhear the entire conversation, even with the shower running. He turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel to dry off his dreadlocks. He thought very deeply, which was probably one of the fatal flaws Megumi often referred to. _"Don't care."_ Higashizawa kept trying to convince himself.

"Higashizawa?" Megumi knocked on the door.

Higashizawa replied, "Naked. What's up?"

"Sorry." Megumi quickly apologized. "I was wondering if I could talk to you outside in private? As soon as you're dressed, that is."

"Sure." Higashizawa tried to speak without the traces of incompetance he felt about himself. "Be there in a minute."

"Great!" Megumi said.

In the distance, Sho realized, "Sound oscillates too perfectly in this confinement." And indeed, everyone heard him.

Higashizawa quickly slipped into his usual attire. A casual dark green shirt, a dark blue pair of jeans, and his baggy purple and white jacket. It was hip and modern, and it somehow made him look likeable. At least, he hoped it did. Yikes, what was with this bout of self-consciousness? He quickly stepped outside and joined Megumi.

Megumi whispered, "Sho can't move, so can we actually go out somewhere? For coffee or food, maybe?" He tried to get the poor college student out of his room.

"Yeah." Higashizawa whispered. "Sounds like a nice change of environment."

Obviously, Megumi didn't know Dogenzaka very well, so he let his muscular bodyguard-looking friend lead the way. They walked through the narrow alleyways, and Megumi could spot the blatantly obvious wrong turn he made, which led him to Sho and his gang. Megumi tried not to look directly at the alley, but he did point to it for Higashizawa (educational purposes). "That's where they attacked me." Megumi said under his breath.

"What were you even doing there?" Higashizawa shook his head.

"They pulled me in?" Megumi lied so easily.

"Those ignorant rascals." Higashizawa sighed. "Burnt to a black crisp already."

Megumi held back chuckling. "Hungry?"

"It's morning." Higashizawa said, disguising the one hand that slipped into his jacket to muffle the sound of his growling stomach. "Of course I am."

"We should buy food then." Megumi suggested. He usually didn't feel hunger pangs until much later in the day, but then again, he usually forgot to sustain himself. Apathy brought this ignorance of his physical needs.

Dogenzaka was well-known for its ramen. The famous Ramen Don was located just a few blocks from Higashizawa's apartment. Megumi wondered if that was the specific reason Higashizawa was currently living in Dogenzaka. After all, he seemed to have a fervent, but carefully hidden, obsession with food. Megumi wondered if he was being secretive, because he seemed to eat alone, and the times he was in the presence of someone, he would typically fall asleep.

"HIGASHIZAWA YODAI!" The Ramen Guy cried out when the two of them entered the store. The shouting seemed appropriate, since the joint was empty. Megumi's instinct was to duck down and wonder if that was a holler of fear.

"Long time, no see." Higashizawa calmly said, folding his arms and smiling slightly at the elderly man.

"You were best customer!" Ramen Guy frowned. "Why so long since you been here?"

"I got busy." Higashizawa pointed over to Megumi, who suddenly felt like he was going to get yelled at.

"Two customer in one visit?" Ramen Guy grinned. He straightened his composure and bowed, "Welcome to Ramen Don."

"Th-thanks." Megumi said, tilting his head in an effort to figure out the Ramen Guy's expressions. He seemed to be making very similar faces - it was hard to read him.

"He's been staying at my place for a while." Higashizawa commented. "You can say we've become close."

"WHA-!" Ramen Guy gaped. "But! I'm sure we can find nice girl for you instead! PLEASE!"

Higashizawa blinked, and took several moments to process this reaction. "... NO! It's not like that. We're close friends, so I'm helping him out. It's... not like that..." Higashizawa facepalmed, and seemed to be blushing in anger.

"Yeah, we're pretty close." Megumi grinned.

"Not you too..." Higashizawa muttered under his breath in embarrassment and exasperation. On cue, his stomach growled. In the silence, it sounded abnormally loud, even though his large hands were trying to stifle the sound. "Noooo..." Higashizawa was dying of embarrassment.

"Emergency ramen order." Ramen Guy said, probably to make things worse. After all, he was a jokester to cope with his age - being old in Shibuya was nearly impossible, as even the elderly seemed to be young at heart. "What may I make?"

"Shoyu Ramen." Megumi requested for himself. It came in the smallest portion possible, and it was soy sauce flavored.

"Tonkotsu Ramen." Higashizawa begged. "Please." This was the largest portion in Ramen Don, topped with pork bone broth, ham hocks, and backfat.

"Your total is 1,350 Yen." Ramen Guy stated. So easily, Higashizawa pulled up the exact amount and paid. "Thank you so much! Hope to see you around here more often!" He politely bowed to his customers.

"No problem." Megumi smiled as they left the shop.

They picked a table near Ramen Don, where it wasn't too crowded. This early in the morning, everyone seemed to be shopping, so the two men were alone.

Megumi watched in fascination as Higashizawa let his guard down. So consumed with hunger, he did away with all notions that anyone was present. He desperately bit into the meat, sipping up noodles and broth simultaneously. His breathing struggled, his chest visibly expanding and contracting rapidly. He was barely chewing, giving the appearance of trying to desperately swallow his meal whole. He was experiencing some form of extreme starvation, almost eating as if his life depended on it. He never slowed down, though he did start to recall the importance of chewing to minimize the choking factor. As Megumi watched, he was lightly picking at his ramen, sipping up noodles very slowly. The entire time, his concealed green eyes were watching Higashizawa. At some point, almost instantly, he snapped out of the feeding frenzy. He finished most of the bowl in a ravenous rush, but towards the last bits, he started to nibble slowly and stare down at the delicious remains. He seemed entranced, and his composure returned to polite and thoughtful, rather than beastly and desperate.

"You okay?" Megumi asked, folding his arms, unsure if he was able to even finish the last half of his ramen.

Higashizawa replied with a light nod. Despite slowing down, he finished the last bits of ramen very quickly. Once it was all in him, he sighed in relief and bowed his head, dreadlocks covering his face. His breathing was very deep, his movements very slight, his composure very soft, his appearance not so intimidating...

Megumi was intently studying his friend's behaviors, partially intrigued and partially astonished. Taking in consideration the symptoms and the secretive nature, Megumi concluded that food was probably Higashizawa's fetish. Megumi could not say the same for himself. Once he ate a certain amount, he would feel nothing - not even the slightest bit of satisfaction. There would seem to be no point in finishing the ramen, because he went from feeling slightly hungry to feeling absolutely nothing. For these reasons, he almost preferred pain, as it was his only indication that he felt anything at all.

Higashizawa returned to being very calm and relaxed. This time, his hands seemed to cover the bulge under his jacket. He was very still - it looked like he was barely breathing at all. He was silent, too. He didn't seem to be thinking anymore. He seemed to be feeling. Megumi could tell, because when Higashizawa thought, he would actively fidget and his eyes would dart around. When he felt, however, he did the opposite - he would stay perfectly still and he would often close his eyes.

"Does it feel good?" Megumi asked innocently.

Higashizawa looked away without replying. He was leaning back against his chair, as if he was peeking over his shoulder. Megumi noticed that those large hands were gently cradeling its stomach. For a moment there, Megumi almost found himself blushing as well - he probably would have if his skin wasn't too pale to have color. Instead, it registered as an uncomfortable stare. "Are you ignoring me now?" Megumi folded his arms.

"Sorry, just thought I heard someone." Higashizawa finally answered. His voice was unexpectedly deep - a tone of both caution and assurance.

"That someone was me." Megumi was irritated. He hated being ignored. "I was asking you how that felt."

Higashizawa was really avoiding eye contact. Embarrassment, perhaps? He folded his large arms and faced Megumi, but his dreadlocks were covering his face again. "I'm just sorry you had to see that." Higashizawa frowned.

"Sorry?" Megumi said. Anger was immediately dropped. Once again he maintained the composure of innocence and curiosity. "What on earth do you have to be sorry about?" Megumi scratched his head. He thought about how that logically made any sense. Browsing through his previous train of thought, he suddenly recalled drawing the conclusion about food being a fetish. Usually fetishes were secretive and private, which was why it made sense at the time. That would explain Higashizawa's embarrassment. Suddenly, Megumi wasn't sure how to reply if that was the truth.

"There's a large void to fill..." Higashizawa said distantly. His hands returning to their original position, holding his belly very carefully.

"Your family..." Megumi said quietly. He tapped his chin in troubled thought.

"Not just them..." Higashizawa instantly covered his mouth. "I've said too much, sir. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's your fatal flaw, remember?" Megumi chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't push it."

"That's because you haven't told your side of the story, right?" Higashizawa looked passively angry.

"Right..." Megumi realized he hadn't. "Well, there isn't much to say. You've said it before. I'm a hopeless loser for stooping as low as suicide. You'd never understand it anyway."

"Don't say that." Higashizawa insisted. "You don't know how I'll react."

"I have trust issues." Megumi glared through his sunglasses. "Not in the sense that the problem is rooted in me... It's that I'm very aware of the unpredictable nature of people. I can't throw my trust to just _anyone_. I've learned that."

Higashizawa slammed his fists on the table, nearly splitting the surface in two. "I saved your life." Megumi had the urge to flee for his life, but he was so astonished by Higashizawa's strength, he remained frozen. "I gave you a home." Higashizawa stood, looming over Megumi. "I gave you food. I gave you shelter. I gave you help. I gave you trust. I gave you friendship. I gave you care. I gave you time. I gave you attention. I gave you money. I gave you freedom." He was enraged - it was obvious by his bulging biceps that barely fit into his oversized jacket. "I GAVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE!" Higashizawa roared.

Megumi should have started a countdown of how many seconds he would be allowed to live. Instead, he found himself in awe. Higashizawa seemed to be transforming inwardly, to the point it shone through his exterior. He was almost unrealistically massive - a giant body with some normally proportioned parts. Fuming in anger, Higashizawa clenched his fists, and from there, the true size of his arms were revealed. The muscles bulged and expanded, from his arms to his shoulders, down his back, around his chest...

"Higashizawa, wait!" Megumi called before he even knew what was happening.

It was too late for warnings. Higashizawa's jacket split at the seams, and shortly after Higashizawa noticed that, the jacket exploded. It didn't just tear open - it exploded. With his muscles exposed, Higashizawa seemed to be twice the size as normal, but perhaps that was a trick of the eye. It was hard to tell, but nonetheless intimidating. Megumi's heartbeat increased, and he almost took off running in fear. What stopped him was that Higashizawa quickly clutched onto the remains of the jacket and pulled it close to him. He looked terrified of being seen. In fact, his eyes started watering up, even though he had an undershirt that prevented him from being completely exposed.

"Don't cause a scene." It was all Megumi managed to say after Higashizawa's rampage. He sounded insensitive, but he did take off his own small jacket and hand it over. "Just wait right here, where you can't be seen. I'll get you a new jacket."

"You don't mind?" Higashizawa was using the remains of his old jacket to hide the fact he was wiping away a tear.

"Not at all. I do owe you a lot." Megumi said. "I should trust you - you're different..."

Higashizawa smiled, cradeling the pile of jackets he was holding. "I'm sorry about getting so mad. I... I deserve this." He looked down at the clothes, and down at his upper body. He was embarrassed about his size; very self-conscious about it. Half was very muscular, but the other half was bloated fat. His belly definitely showed through the undershirt, it was hanging out. He placed the clothes over it to hide it.

"You don't deserve anything but praise." Megumi placed his hand on Higashizawa's arm. "You're my friend. How many people do you think I say that to?"

Higashizawa blushed and his heart raced. "I-it's an honor, sir." He glanced over at the sound of footsteps. "Some people are coming... I'd better wait in that corner there." He pointed to a tiny corner under a tall potted tree.

"Got it." Megumi nodded. "I'll be back before you know it." He promised, swiftly turning around and walking away. Higashizawa nodded, even though Megumi couldn't see him do it.

_"I don't even know my way around Dogenzaka."_ Megumi thought. _"I have no clue where to buy jackets." _He wandered around past Ramen Don and found an empty place. The previous shop-owner ran out of business. How familiar... Megumi gulped and pressed on. He found a place called Cosmic Corner. If that didn't scream "Hip, Shibuya-approved fashion", then what did? He cautiously entered the store and looked around.

"What are you doing?" A strange hippy emerged from the back. He seemed offended.

"Just wondering where I can buy clothes." Megumi replied in a suave fashion. "If you don't have any, I'm moving on."

"Store's closed." The hippy folded his arms. "I don't know how you got in here."

"Door's unlocked." Megumi explained. "And I'm leaving." He turned around swiftly.

"No, actually, wait." The hippy paused, thinking to himself for a bit. "How about this. You buy one thing, and one thing only. Don't dawdle around for hours."

"Do I look like the type who would shop forever?" Megumi threw his hands up in frustration.

The hippy didn't comment. "Just make it quick."

Megumi sighed in frustration, but his eye caught the sight of the clothing section toward the opposite end of the store. He quickly rushed over there and looked for jackets. Everything seemed to be clothes he would wear. None of it would fit Higashizawa. "Do you have these in larger sizes?" He asked.

"How large you asking for?" The shop-owner spat.

"Larger than a large?" Megumi asked sheepishly. He wasn't the type to be timid, but he started to sympathize with poor Higahizawa, who had to go through this every time he needed new clothes. Megumi wasn't even realizing how much social disgrace he was saving him.

"We've got this." The shop-owner held out an extra-large, which didn't look like a dramatic shift in size.

"Bigger than that?" Megumi pressed.

"What? It's not like you'd be wearing it." The shop-owner persisted. "You're wasting up my time with these questions. Get out of here."

"Come on, now!" Megumi hissed. "You don't want your already pathetic reputation tarnished, do you? Imagine what people will think... Imagine what kind of profit you'll be making after that."

"Okay, buddy, calm down." The shop-owner was aware of the importance of people's opinions in a place like Shibuya. Here, it was literally all that could possibly matter. "Don't do anything crazy. I'm very sorry. I'll show you some larger sizes." Megumi couldn't suppress a smile. This was just how Shibuya worked. Words were all it took to make things happen. The shop-owner returned and held out some rather large clothing. "Usually we don't sell anything this large, but it's because, well..." He glanced around the store.

"Nobody's in here." Megumi assured. "It's just me."

"Well..." The shop-owner kept his voice low. "The reason we sell clothing in these sizes is because of a particular resident here in Dogenzaka."

"Do you know their name?" Megumi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Of course I do." The shop-owner said. "We have to make them, because he only purchases his clothing from here - and he buys a lot. We make a fortune off him. He's hundreds of sizes larger than your typical human being."

"Hundreds?" Megumi's eyebrow shot up. "That, I doubt."

"He is huge." The shop-owner said. "I'm surprised anyone else would be interested in such large sizes."

Megumi glanced at the clothing, and caught sight of a favorable jacket. "I'll pick the largest one."

"This one?" The shop-owner asked.

"That one." Megumi confirmed.

"XXXXXXL?" The shop-owner asked.

"That's the one." Megumi confirmed.

"You're buying this for Yodai Higashizawa, aren't you?" The shop-owner asked.

Megumi gave the most horrendous death glare. "You were referring to him this entire time, weren't you?"

"Yes." The shop-owner said. "I swear he's the biggest guy in Shibuya. Perhaps even in Tokyo. No, probably in all of Japan. Or...?"

"Take it back." Megumi frowned. "He's a little tall, but that's all."

"He's wider than he is tall." The shop-owner took the liberty of counting up the monetary total.

"It's mostly muscle." Megumi persisted.

"No, I think it's all fat." The shop-owner pressed.

"Ignorant little bitch, aren't you?" Megumi whispered under his breath.

"Beg pardon?" The shop-owner said.

"How much is it?" Megumi asked.

"24,000 Yen." The shop-owner stated.

"That's a little much, isn't it?" Megumi gulped.

"Not for something this size." The shop-owner glared.

"Okay, I'll pay." Megumi said, pulling out everything in his wallet and giving it to the shop-owner. He only had coins left. A few thousand yen, but it wasn't much.

"Thank you, here's his shirt, have a nice day." The shop-owner immediately went to the back and slammed the door shut. Megumi scoffed and left, content that he accomplished his mission, despite the side rambling he had to endure.

Higashizawa was in the same corner. He was tired of holding the clothes in the same position, so he eventually dealt with the occasional passerby stares that he would receive. After all, he chose to place the clothes over his stomach, which meant his gigantic arms and chest were showing through the undershirt. He usually received looks of fear and mistrust. Higashizawa muttered angrily under his breath. The anger instantly dissapated when he saw Megumi returning with a large plastic bag.

"You got it?" Higashizawa tried not giving his hopes up.

"Here." Megumi reached inside and pulled out a large baggy jacket. It was white and purple, and looked much better than his old one. It was larger than his old one, too, so it could comfortably accomodate someone his size.

"You didn't..." Higashizawa teared up.

"I did." Megumi smiled. "Don't get emotional on me. It's embarrassing." He laughed.

Higashizawa lept to his feet, and hugged him. "Thank you so much." He said, mostly due to saving a lot of grief that was associated with purchasing clothing.

"You're welcome." Megumi smiled. Quickly, he took the shredded jacket and placed it in the plastic bag, and he handed the brand-new jacket to Higashizawa. He started slipping on his own black jacket, which had this mysterious musk. Higashizawa's scent was this mixture of top-class cooking and gingerbread. Megumi was mesmerized, so he stood there, spacing out and sniffing his jacket.

"It fits perfectly." Higashizawa commented. It was true - it perfectly shaped his muscular arms and bulky torso. His chest could be seen bulging through his undershirt, but he could easily conceal the shape of his torso by zipping up the jacket. "Thank you so much, Mr. Kitaniji." He bowed.

"It's no problem." Megumi grinned. "You know, I think it's time..."

"Time for what, sir?" Higashizawa glanced over with curiosity, his dreadlocks following his movements.

"Time to tell you everything..." Megumi looked at Higashizawa with a trusting smile.

**-Author's Notes-**

Finally, a new chapter! So why did it take over a month to be written? The day after I finished writing the previous chapter, my computer's keyboard received water damage and stopped working. I had to make do with my three-year-old, ancient laptop that I was previously using. (It's runs so slow, it's bound to crash sometime.) I was struggling with ideas, so I came up with three different versions of this chapter. I was trying to decide which sounded right for the direction I wanted to take this story. I was originally going to throw it off into a totally unexpected direction, but then I realized I really didn't want to do that. It would be too soon and too sudden. After all, Megumi's being secretive to a fault, and Higashizawa was far too trustworthy. I felt like I had to add elements to show that like real people, they don't necessarily stay the same way forever. Megumi can open up, and Higashizawa can be secretive. Also, apologies about the lack of using Sho as a plot device. I knew that if I integrated too much of him too soon, it could also veer off the current plot too soon. I like consistency. I've added some touch-up changes to previous chapters, mostly in editing the dream sequences. I thought they were unnecessary to the story. I think it's better this way. (Wow, this is a long author's note...)

I wanted to note that my computer was fixed. The keyboard was replaced, so it's working just fine. I'll probably make more updates now that it's back. Feel free to review and send suggestions. I'd appreciate it a lot. Thank you so much for the reviews you guys have posted so far. I look forward to them as much as I look forward to pushing on this story.


	7. Chapter 6: Unraveling Snake

**Chapter VI: Unraveling Snake**

AntiFiction

12-26-2012

(6)

It was a cold rainy night, much like the one when they met. Miyashita Bridge was as inviting as death's door, gleaming with artificial light, yet as soulless as a machine. Megumi took the lead, walking in his own footprints back to the spot of his scheduled death. His bony hands clutched onto the rail, supporting himself as he leaned to look over the edge, to the cold ocean water below. Higashizawa approached him from behind, seeing what he saw from a distance, due to the advantage of his height. They were both silent, perhaps contemplating about deep and profound questions that would never have answers. Megumi's skin was pale white, his dark hair clinging onto him, and his clothes sagging as they caught rainwater. "What is the value of your life?" Megumi asked quietly.

Higashizawa didn't answer specifically. He usually did respond in vague, abstract, or universal terms, probably out of a force of habit. College-level thinking brought out this type of response. "I think it's individual." He said. "Some people hold their lives as great values, and others see themselves as having no value. It depends on who you talk to."

"Wrong, Higashizawa." Megumi said, softly yet somehow more sternly. "What is the value of **your** life?"

It was surprising how personal the question was. Higashizawa glanced at the asphalt floor and absent-mindedly said, "I would say..." His thick hair had immense amounts of water flowing through it, and his face was hidden behind it in that moment. "My life is very important to me. I will guard it if I have to. I will protect it. Nothing else matters, if driven to survive."

"That is very wise." Megumi glanced over his shoulder to make eye contact. "In fact, I believe that's what the average person says." He turned around to look at the dreary night-time view of the bay. "However... I think that answer is too simple. There are some things more important than life itself." Megumi's hands clutched tightly onto his elbows, since his arms were crossed, and his frail form leaning against the ice-cold railing. "This is where my life was scheduled to end. Everything in my existence was scheduled. Everything was hand-picked and chosen by me. Nothing happened without my approval. You're probably curious about why I would kill myself. Higashizawa, you portray yourself as one who values others above anything else, but your actions are generally selfish. You wouldn't kill yourself, because you're too selfish. You want to live. You want to live for yourself only." His words are harsh, precise, and deep. He turned to face his single-person audience and said firmly, "Is that correct?"

"That's a gross misrepresentation..." Higashizawa frowned. "I suppose that to some degree, it is correct, but not entirely." His voice deepened, and his frown became a grimace.

"Reality is harsh, as is truth." Megumi said. "I've never let anyone know about my private business. This is the first time I ever say it aloud. You better not make me regret that I'm telling you."

"I promise that you won't regret it." Higashizawa said.

"Okay..." Megumi closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He reacquainted himself with his inner being, which glowed with anticipation to explore his thoughts and find the truth. The cold salt breeze tickled his face, with some particles landing amongst his concealed eyelashes. His voice laid down a message so imperative that the world around him seemed to go silent, just to listen to him speak. "Here goes..."

_I was born to very wealthy parents. They were both incredibly successful individuals. My father was a doctor, and my mother was a teacher. Deep down, my mother had a passion for music, which she taught me ever since I was very young. I picked up her fascination, and carried it forward with me. I wanted to be a musician when I grew up, which my mother encouraged, but my father scorned. My parents fought a lot over me. My father expected me to also become a doctor and follow in his footsteps... while my mother wanted me to follow my passions and individual pursuits. Amongst their clashing interests, they conceived my younger sister Michi, my greatest disappointment._

_I lost my mother's affections. She began to value Michi so much more than she ever valued me. My father's influence began to take over. He pushed me to succeed, he pushed me to be the best, and in time, he pushed me into a miserable career. I was intelligent, but I failed for years to get into medical school. He pushed harder, and he became abusive. It wasn't long until he disowned me, and I no longer had a father... not that he was much of one to begin with. My mother was so involved in Michi's success that I saw my sister achieving my dreams. She became a child prodigy, a very skilled musician, and life always handed to her whatever she wanted. She also attracted the attention of very rich men, so she never had to work a day in her life. She played violin and piano, instead. My mother ignored me so thoroughly to the point that she didn't even have to disown me... I disowned her first, to save myself the heartbreak of losing importance from within my family._

_I was alone, not by my circumstances, but because I chose that path for myself. I wanted to pursue my own individual goals. Friends held me back. Family weighed me down. I cut the ties and moved forward. My parents paid my college tuition, so they tried to be strict and determine how I would live my life, even well after I was into adulthood. My interactions with them deteriorated so horribly, and when I think about it, it all traces back to Michi. She is the perfect daughter for them. She's unintelligent, adorable, and easily trained. It's exactly what they have wanted their entire lives. They don't like that I can think sharply, that I see through the manipulation I've been put through, and that their continuous testing of my character... It's all so pointless._

_Entering college, I put myself first. Everything in my life became a schedule. There were days I would read. Some days I would exercise. Other days I would work. Sometimes I would play. Everything I did was predetermined by my own will. Nothing happened without my approval. No person could change my plans or alter my fate. Nobody could intervene or bend my will. Such a thing was simply not heard of. If there's a word to describe me... I would say "passionate". I have always hated business. In fact, I was in it for the money alone, so that I could save it up and make a real change in the world some day. I worked so hard, and in the end, I realized I wasn't just doing it for myself... So many people would gain tremendous benefit by my vision._

_Soon, the world wasn't just about me. It was about all of Tokyo. There are so many people that surround me each day, with such recognizable yet nameless faces. They all feel the same things I feel. Guilt, rejection, pain, insecurity, uncertainty, worry, shame, regret... They feel it, too. I started to accept that perhaps I wasn't so different from the every-day human. Just like them, I slept, I worked, I commuted, I ate, I played, I talked, and I organized. I started feeling this strong sense of family that was never found within my actual biological family. It was that sense of belonging. I belong here in Tokyo - or more specifically, in Shibuya. I was meant to be here. I was placed here, not by a trick of fate, but by choice. I chose this life for myself._

_I delved into the spiritual side of this line of thinking. It's difficult for me to logically conclude that there is a god, but the idea of higher powers became appealing. I wanted access to this powerful source. Initially, I thought I would benefit from it... and soon it became obvious that everyone would. The world needed me. I had an incredible mission, and I was there to fulfill it. I was such a powerful being that nothing could conquer me, and definitely nothing could restrain me. Unfortunately, it was at my highest point that the world decided to crash down this illusion, and strip me to the bone._

_Someone weakened my heart. Yes, it was a girl. I won't mention her name. I was baffled during the day we met. I didn't know anything about her, and yet, I couldn't stop staring at her, wanting to know everything. She approached me first, and I pretended that I wasn't already interested. She, too, wanted to know me. By mutual consent, we had a growing relationship of equal passion and strength. Soon, I felt as if I had been divided in two. The power of the world wasn't all mine anymore... Everything that went through me also went through her. She was my partner, my equal... I couldn't wrap my mind around why she tried so hard to be at my level. She fought for it, and we were both stubborn, so those fights became too real. In the end, she took everything._

_My dignity, my self-respect, my confidence, my belongings, my finances, my house, my information, my personality, my will to live..._

_Don't lie to me. Don't tell me that you think that's stupid, Higashizawa. Maybe you're angry, because you've never felt the power emotions that love triggers. It is so unbearable that nothing else matters, and you're allowed to see greater things than possible when you're alone. The curse is that you're not really yourself. You become that person you love... and they become you. So when it doesn't work out... The world crashes down. It ends._

_I am only a shadow of my former self. My youth left me long ago. My ideas and passions are still alive, even though they are struggling to exist somewhere deep in the tempest of my ceaseless thoughts. I'm jaded. Immorality has passed by as a natural, daily occurrence, without a single qualm. There is no distinction between right or wrong. People do whatever they want. Everyone has their own set of beliefs and morals, even if it means to not believe in anything at all. People live, people die, and the world still continues. Or does it, Higashizawa? Does it really? We don't know. When the self dies, nothing else matters. However, when love dies... something even greater than the self was sacrificed._

_I can't even describe the deep wounds of betrayal. It hurts to put faith and trust in someone, only to watch them slander your image and tear your reputation apart. There is too much heartache in seeing someone you trusted so deeply... do something so horrendous. It's like watching a train wreck. That roaring screech and thunderous impact of no return... it's scarred, perhaps even forcibly branded, into memory. All that can be done is to watch. There is nothing much to do or say... except to shed tears and work through that stubbornness... and realize that everything you cherished is gone._

_There is a time for everything. A time for joy, a time for sorrow. A time for work, a time for play. A time to live, a time to die. It's all according to the schedule. Nobody picks it for us, except ourselves. Gods and predestination cannot possibly exist. These figments of our imagination cannot work out something so detailed and intricate. Only we, human beings, can achieve something so powerful. Only we can decide that for ourselves. My decision to take my life wasn't selfish... It was righteous._

_I proved myself unworthy to be loved. I broke her heart, and she doubly broke mine. She gave half, and I gave everything. In the end, it really wasn't enough. I was unsatisfactory. I was a disappointment to her, just as I was a disappointment to my parents. I was replaced by someone else, just as Michi had replaced me. I am disposable. I am capable of such great power, but what is the meaning of it if nobody benefits from it anymore, myself included? The right thing to do at that point is to put the old dog down. It was just time to die._

_Can you understand all that, Higashizawa?_

_Is it difficult to comprehend?_

_I know my logic probably seems extreme._

_However, it would make more sense, if you experienced the slightest of what I went through._

_It sounds like nonsensical garbage if you haven't been in love before._

_You haven't been in love._

_You probably can't understand the meaning of my story._

_I regret telling you._

_Yet I don't._

_At least someone knows. At least someone took the time to listen._

_Nobody else did._

_So when I die, someone can pass on my memory._

_So maybe when I'm dust, I won't disappear like everyone else..._

_And maybe my existence would have meant something to this world._

When Megumi finished, the natural sounds of rain and wind slowly returned. It was as if, in that moment, everything stood still to listen to the silent sufferer. Although his shades covered his physical expression, tears stained his face. They were distinguishable from the rain, because they slid down relentlessly. He tilted his head back to allow the rain to wash the tears away. It also streamed through his pitch black hair. The cloudy, black sky and the rainfall embraced him as coldly as death. It held him closer than any human being ever had. He opened his concealed eyes and continued to speak, "I would have succeeded, if it weren't for you. Had you not intervened, I would be where I truly belong. I would be in death's care, so very far away from the worries of the world." He turned to face the silent giant. "Look, Higashizawa. It's been difficult to trust you. There's something familiar in you that reminds me of myself, and that's why I linger to discover your purpose, but it's too ironic that you, of all people, stopped me. Nobody has successfully stopped me from achieving a goal. Not once. I wish I could believe you. I wish I could trust you. I just know all too well that I cannot. I gave someone my life once... I can't even give someone my trust now. The wounds are too fresh, and the pain still a daily reminder. I will never lower myself like that again. You lower yourself for others, and it reminds me of who I once was. It haunts me, and it makes me want to get away from you. However, your idea of a second change... Could such a thing even happen to someone as hopeless as me?"

"...Yes." Higashizawa wasn't even speaking with his own voice. He was scarcely managing to whisper. He was choked up, frozen, with tears welled up in his eyes, but unable to fall.

"Although it's very likely that you could be a simple, innocent person that managed to intervene out of the innate kindness of their heart... I just find that to be extremely unlikely." Megumi said. "I will tell you exactly why."

Higashizawa's head was bowed, and he still remained listening.

"There is no coincidence that you have one picture of me on your refrigerator." Megumi said. "In fact, I think you wanted me to find it. Never mind that I might actually have the intelligence to conclude that you have dozens of others like it. We didn't meet by chance. It was planned. I don't believe in luck, and I don't believe in spontaneity or chances. I think that you planned to stop me, because you were watching me. You watched me through my sister. You knew her, and you asked questions, even though she couldn't give you much truth - after all, I never let her know who I was. You want something from me. This entire effort that you've spent has been to befriend me and to earn my favor. It explains why you're much more respectful than an ordinary person would be - it's almost as if you're apologizing to me before you do your dirty work. I'm not dumb. I pick up every single word you say, and your inconsistent kindness has exposed the truth. Yodai Higashizawa, you are not who you're trying to portray yourself to be." Megumi approached him with a very stern composure. "Who are you, really?"

Higashizawa exhaled loudly, a mix of frustration and fear. "I cannot believe how much doubt you have in people, Mr. Kitaniji."

"There you go with the appeasing behavior." Megumi said. "If you truly wanted to be my friend, wouldn't you start calling me Megumi, rather than distancing me as a superior?"

"All right, Mr. Kitaniji..." Higashizawa said. "All right..."

"What, are you going to confess now?" Megumi pressed.

"I have been watching you for a long time." Higashizawa admitted. "Everything you've told me isn't news. However, hearing you actually say it seems much more powerful than watching the events unfold before your eyes."

Megumi froze and his eyes widened. "I was right?"

"Yes." Higashizawa said. "Apparently you already knew."

"No, I didn't..." Megumi said. "That was a test..."

Higashizawa froze. He didn't dare to say anything more.

"I knew it..." Megumi said in disbelief, stepping backwards. "I knew I couldn't trust you. You're so honest, even when you're lying. You knew everything about me. I don't know why you wanted me to tell you. I don't know why you wanted me to trust you. I don't know why you could possibly want to use me. I'm truly not that valuable. I don't even know if your stories about your family, your missing sister... that can't possibly be true. Nothing that you say can be true."

"Mr. Kitaniji..." Higashizawa said distantly. "I've disappointed you..." Tears streamed down his face.

"There you go with the acting." Megumi persisted. "You're a fake. I don't know who you're trying to impress, but I'm almost completely certain that the third person is going to reveal themselves. If they're going to appear at all, it will be right now."

**"Very observant."** A voice spoke.

All went silent once more.

Megumi froze in his tracks, although Higashizawa seemed to be unphased, despite the tears. Nobody seemed to be there except the two of them. Most people wouldn't be out in this rain. Megumi wanted to call out into the darkness surrounding them, but was too frightened. He was being watched too closely. It felt dangerous. Murder wasn't part of the plan... Suicide was. He wanted to run. He had nowhere to run. Higashizawa could easily submit him into obedience. What mess did he get himself into?

**"Please don't take it so personally."** The voice continued. **"Your suicide had to be prevented, because there were a few more details I needed to know, in order for you to qualify."**

"What on earth are you talking about?" Megumi demanded.

**"Usually, I'm not interested in anything other than dead things..."** It spoke.** "But you are... quite the exception..."**

**-Author's Notes-**

This is, by far, the riskiest thing I've ever done in a story. It takes a lot of work to build up meaningful relationships between characters, and sometimes it's anti-climatic or frustrating to watch that relationship shatter like glass. I've had a huge story block for months, not only because I'm a college student, but because I've wanted to expose this plot element I've been planning since the story's conception. Megumi is a rather judgmental character, and Higashizawa is the silent/secretive type, so it's difficult to impossible to figure out who is telling the truth. They are both too biased, and somewhat selfish in their own unique way, to formulate genuine honesty. There's been this need of a third character to fully explain their connection from an outsider's view. (An important note: I did not forget about Sho. He has an extremely important role that progresses stronger and stronger throughout the story. It's too soon to reveal.) Also, there's a lot of mystery and unexplained plot that will be revealed in the next chapter. In fact, this chapter was really short, because otherwise, it would have been a huge mega-chapter about introducing Megumi's backstory, Higashizawa's betrayal, AND the entire importance of the third character all-in-one. It would have been overwhelming. I don't know if it bothers anyone that this is short, especially since it took me so long to post it. I hope not. Ideas are flowing more easily for this story, so updates will probably be more frequent and less lengthy, so it's easier to read in one sitting. The next chapter is a continuation of this one. I doubt it will take months to post that. Anyway, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays! Hopefully this is an interesting holiday gift to whoever receives this. It's definitely something that's been building up for a while. (What's Megumi's secret when Higashizawa is so openly honest?) I bet it was rather unexpected for it to flip to: Okay, now we know Megumi's secret, but who's side is Higashizawa on, and was he lying this whole time? Okay, so what's HIS secret then? ... Trust me, it gets better. Happy Holidays!


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